In The End
by KathDMD
Summary: Allura's wedding to Keith starts as a happy occasion, but turns cataclysmic as the forces of Doom vow revenge. It will take everything in the Galaxy Alliance to get rid of the threat for good, at a price that may be too great. Sven/Romelle/Hawkins/OCs, K/A, and lots more.
1. Rest of My Life

_Author's Note__: __I do not own Voltron or any of its characters, properties, etc. Nor do I own any products, locations (see further), or placements used in this story. I only own the characters and planets I've created, and that's it. Also, I do this only for fun and stress relief purposes and make no money off it._

_I appreciate all of my readers, old and new alike, as we embark on the last book in the "Someone Like You" trilogy. If you know the first two books and/or any of my stand-alone fiction, you're awesome; if not, well, you'll catch on quickly, and you can always ask me (or some of my long-time readers) questions. We're here to help. Reviews and feedback are always welcome and encouraged; I do my best work when I'm under scrutiny._

_And now, on with the show._

_**Title Song: "Rest Of My Life" by Ludacris ft. Usher and David Guetta (I am OBSESSED with this song right now)**_

* * *

Conditions on Planet Pollux had improved greatly since the Zarkonian Wars ended. The people were happier, albeit a little perturbed that the reigning royals, King Bandor and Queen Emmaline, hadn't yet produced an heir to the throne. The royal couple had celebrated their first anniversary, and everyone seemed disappointed when Emma downed two glasses of champagne. Romelle included.

Things had gotten substantially better for Princess Romelle and her royal consort, Sven Holgersson. They had been going to therapy twice a week with Dr. Deldosa, and the sessions had made their marriage stronger. Their son Erik had celebrated his second birthday, and it was a much happier occasion than his first birthday, which was laced with anger and tension.

Sven went to the couples' once a week, but he also had an individual session twice a week as well. Romelle, whose emotions had improved greatly, continued her appointments on a once-monthly basis for maintenance, but was otherwise in good shape.

"So, Sargeant Holgersson," Dr. Deldosa began, "I'd like to address something that your wife brought up in your last couples' session. I think you know what I'm about to say."

Sven nodded earnestly. He wasn't surprised. "Yes."

"The royal wedding on Arus is not too far away, and I am under the impression that the prince from Planet Tyvel will be attending, as well as the Space Marshal of the Galaxy Alliance. Romelle expressed concern about both of those guests. She feels as though she has moved beyond her feelings towards the prince, but she is not sure if you've moved beyond your feelings for the Space Marshal."

Sven didn't have a reply at the ready, even though he'd had ample time to think about it. Romelle was right. He _hadn't _fully worked past his feelings towards Lenora. He didn't even know if it was possible for him to do so.

When Romelle had carried on her affair with Prince Erimar, it was at a low point - possibly the lowest point - of their marriage. Sven could even accept the fact that another man had loved his wife. He wasn't angry at Romelle or Erimar. But Lenora...he had been in love with her since he was sixteen years old. Now he was thirty-three. Those years of yearning for her wouldn't just go away overnight. He wasn't sure if they'd ever disappear completely.

"Well, Sven? How do you feel about your wife's concern?"

The Norwegian cleared his throat. "She has good reason to be worried, Dr. Deldosa. You know that Lenora runs through my blood like this Haggarium infection in me. The Space Marshal isn't someone I can just stop thinking about like that." He snapped his fingers to illustrate his point.

Dr. Deldosa nodded sagely. "I understand, Sven. But we've been working together for a long time now. I must say, while I am disappointed in how slowly you've been progressing, at least I can say there has been progress. You have not reverted."

Sven raised an eyebrow. "Was that your fear? That I would regress?"

Dr. Deldosa did not hesitate or mince words. "Yes."

Sven stood. "You do realize that I have gotten better regarding my marriage, don't you? That I have kept my anger in check and my feelings for Lenora more-or-less under control? That I have treated Romelle the way a husband should treat his wife?"

The therapist stiffened. "Of course. I am merely informing you that you have not lessened in your feelings towards your old fiancée. You continue to place her up on the proverbial pedestal, and there is no way your wife can compete. And _that_, Sargeant, is _not _the way a husband treats his wife."

As the Norwegian locked his slate-blue eyes on the therapist, he felt the Haggarium rage flowing through his veins. He hated the fact that Pidge's and Vince's antidote had all but completely worn off. "That is something that cannot be helped. I don't think it can ever be helped. I am going to love that woman - and _pay _for it, I might add - for the rest of my life. The only thing I can do is focus on my wife and my family."

"There are other things you can do."

"Not right now, I can't." And with that, Sven barged out of Dr. Deldosa's office, despite the fact that their session was not quite over. In the royal consort's mind, it was. He headed back to the royal palace, his eyes flashing with purple.

* * *

So many things had happened in the Alliance over the last ten months.

Not only had Christiane Kogane, the Albegas tech sargeant, married Captain Jeff Aki of the Voltron Vehicle Team, but her brother Keith had gotten engaged to Allura, the princess of Arus. Cinda Kirigas had moved in with Ginger Ellington, and their friend Lisa Kaga had moved in with her boyfriend Aidan Dalloway, the Albegas captain. Not that those three girls were home in New York very often - the Explorer would be in the solar system around Earth for eight weeks, then would dock for a mere two weeks. It was driving the Space Marshal crazy.

Then there was Morgan...no, she couldn't get into Morgan Feld Rackens right now. It was too sad.

Lenora Stensson, the Space Marshal of the Galaxy Alliance, sat in her office and continued with the paperwork for her plans. Since returning from her quote-unquote second honeymoon in Paris with her husband, Commander Jonathan James Hawkins of the S.S. Explorer, she'd set her ideas into motion. There was only one Space Academy in the galaxy, but there were many, many planets in the Galaxy Alliance. Her plan was to scout out new locations to open additional Space Academies and therefore relieve some of the pressure off the school in New York. First, she was going to expand to other countries on Earth, and then send out her newly-hired Interplanetary Relations specialist to inspect other planets within the Alliance.

It didn't surprise her that Tokyo, Japan had been the first city on board with the idea. What _did _surprise her that Oslo, Norway had been the second.

When she'd heard back from the representative from Oslo, she was swept away by a thousand emotions. Pride in herself and the Garrison. Hope for the Alliance. Determination to unite countries and defeat the forces of Doom - namely King Lotor and the former Sky Marshal, Charles Herbert Wade. And, yes, sadness as she recalled that her first love, the man Christiane had said was The One, had been born in Norway. How they had spent a summer travelling the country when they were eighteen years old, and he told her that he was in love with her, and would be for the rest of his life.

She sighed. At least she knew he was still alive.

She'd been by herself for the past two weeks. Not only was the Explorer currently in the atmosphere, but she'd granted her First Officer, Kelly Asimov, a well-deserved vacation. Since it was Kelly's job to hold the Garrison together when the Space Marshal was unavailable, Lenora knew that her second-in-command needed the time off desperately.

Kelly and her boyfriend, Taye Benton - the second-in-command of Albegas - had chosen to disappear to Planet Dradin for two weeks. Lenora had offered them use of her husband's three-bedroom condo in Las Vegas as an alternative, but they'd declined, saying that they wanted to get away from Earth entirely. She couldn't blame them. She understood the need to get as far away from everything as possible.

"Knock knock," she heard a voice call out from the doorway.

Lenora didn't need to look up from the desk to know who was at the door. "Come on in, Kell," she replied, a smile spreading on her face. She'd missed her First Officer. True, they hadn't been the best of friends when they were students at the Academy, but they had lived on the same floor and considered each other family. It was remarkable how close they'd grown since she'd come back to her position as Space Marshal. "I've missed you."

"Me too." Kelly stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. She was glowing. "It's good to see you, Len."

"Mmm-hmm." Lenora finally looked up from the paperwork on her desk and gazed at her second-in-command. Kelly was positively radiant, her tawny skin glowing underneath a waterfall of ash-blond curls. "Wow, Kell. You look gorgeous. Two weeks off have done you good."

Still smiling, Kelly held out her newly-ringed left hand. Lenora took it and studied the piece of jewelry. It was a simple rose-gold ring with a knot tied in the one piece of metal. _A love knot, _she thought suddenly as the realization of what it meant swept through her.

"Taye and I got married on Dradin."

Lenora jumped to her feet. "Oh my God! Congratulations!" she cried out as she embraced her friend. "That's so exciting! What made you two decide to do it?"

"I'm not sure, exactly." Kelly shrugged, still grinning. "We were having such a great time on Dradin - once Mansett realized we were part of the Garrison, he fell all over himself trying to accommodate us. He suggested that we go shopping in the new esplanade that had just opened up, so we went. I found this ring and fell in love with it." She twisted the little band on her finger. "Then, once we had the ring, everything just sort of fell into place. He asked me to marry him, and twenty minutes later, we had a marriage license. Mansett was our witness." She laughed. "Not the way I would have imagined my wedding day, but certainly a day to remember."

Lenora smiled, beaming. "I am so happy for you two. Really." She stopped to laugh. "You know what Jon's gonna say about this, right? He's gonna say something about Taye needing to 'man up' and have a wedding."

Kelly laughed. "Yeah, we figured as much. I was thinking maybe cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Get the family together, have a toast at sunset...you know, just a happy little gathering."

"On the terrace."

"Well, if you're offering..."

"Oh, hush. Of course I'm offering, and I know Jon wouldn't have it any other way." Lenora hugged Kelly again. The spectacular terrace jutting off the master bedroom of their triplex on Fifth Avenue had already been the site of Jeff's wedding to Christiane. "I would like to contact him on the Explorer, though. Just to give him a heads-up."

Kelly nodded. "Of course. Give him my thanks, from me and my husband." She grinned. "Wow. Now I have a _husband._ That is just plain _weird._"

"Believe me, you'll get used to it." She laughed. "Don't forget, Kell, now this is for the rest of your life."

"For the rest of my life." Kelly mulled the phrase over in her head. "Well, since you put it that way, I guess I _should_ have a party."

"I'm on it." Lenora smiled and picked up the communicator to contact her husband on the Explorer. "Once I'm done with this, I'll call Isabel at Per Se and we can pick out some food. And then, if you don't mind, I'd like to call Morgan and tell her. I can't plan a wedding without her."

Kelly's expression softened. "Yes. I'd like that. And she could use some cheering up."

Lenora nodded, thinking of her oldest friend. "She definitely could."

As the Space Marshal hit the button to contact the Explorer, she pushed her thoughts about Morgan aside. Her friend needed to get past her sadness, and a wedding reception on the terrace would be just the place to start.

* * *

The royal tailors were still working on the dress.

According to royal tradition, Allura should have worn her mother's dress. It was the same dress that had been handed down through the generations; the same dress that all of the women in her family had worn since the start of the lion dynasty. The problem with the tradition was that it simply assumed that the queen wasn't the ruler of the land. In the past, the king had been the supreme ruler, and the queen had merely carried the king's children to ensure that the royal lineage continued. The tradition might have continued if Allistaire hadn't been killed on the battlefield.

That would not be the case in this marriage. True, Keith would rule by her side, but _she _was the member of the royal family, and she would be the supreme monarch. This was a new era for her planet. And as such, she deserved a new wedding gown. Her _own _wedding gown.

Of course, there were still several traditions that needed to be honored. The gown still had to be a shade of white or ivory, and it still had to have sleeves of some sort. It still had to be tasteful and appropriate for an event as huge as the royal wedding. And it still could only be worn for the royal wedding ceremony, not for the reception. On _that _note, the reception dress had similar rules, but it was less formal.

Allura wasn't worried.

She had purchased the reception dress during a trip to visit her friends at the Garrison, but the royal seamstress had helped her design the ceremony gown. It was a white ballgown with a full tulle skirt, close-fitted illusion sleeves with scroll detailing that extended to the bodice, and a neckline which fell just below her collarbone. For the ceremony, there would be no headpiece, as the coronation would take place at the same time. It was the one tradition she'd allow. She'd wear that tacky, puffy red crown _thing_, adorned with the royal crest of the lion dynasty, on the walk back down the aisle with Keith at her side. Then, God willing, she'd never have to wear it again.

Not that any of it mattered in the long run. The only thing that was of any real importance was that she was marrying the love of her life, and she would have him for the rest of her life.

"Aunt Allura? Do you have a moment?"

The princess looked up from her contracts and over at her niece. Larmina - along with her fellow cadets, Vince and Daniel - was an adult now, having turned eighteen years old last month. Her dark strawberry-blond hair, which she normally wore up in a high ponytail, was loose and fell past her shoulders. "For you, Larmina? Always."

"I went for the initial fitting of my maid-of-honor dress this afternoon, and the royal seamstress wanted to know if I'm wearing a different dress for the reception. Am I? And if I am, then are there any royal protocols I need to follow?"

"Larmina, whatever you want to do is fine by me."

The cadet made a face. "Yeah, because I like dresses _so _much."

Allura laughed. "Like I said, whatever you want to do is fine by me. As long as you wear your bridesmaid dress with any shoes _other _than sneakers for both the wedding and coronation ceremonies, you can do what you like."

Larmina nodded. "Okay, thanks. And since I'm here, one more question - who did you finally end up pairing me with for the reception? I know I'm stuck with Lance during the ceremony, but who'd you put me with for dinner?"

Allura looked back down at her paperwork. "Pidge."

"Oh." Larmina's heart began to pound as she heard the answer. "Thanks, Aunt Allura. I'll get out of your way now." She closed the door behind her as she left, thinking, _Oh, Daniel's not gonna like this._

* * *

Aidan Dalloway was slowly becoming used to spending his free time at the Rackens household.

When the Explorer was in orbit, it meant that his longtime girlfriend Lisa was gone. It also meant that Jeff, his old friend and his tech sargeant's husband, was gone as well. And since it was better to be with friends and family than alone and sitting in an apartment, Aidan and Christiane often spent time with David and Morgan. And if Taye Benton was available - _And not on Dradin with his girl, _he thought sarcastically - he'd join in too.

"What do you think, Rackens?" he asked, tumbler of Johnny Walker Black Label in hand, as they looked over the blueprint rolled out on the granite-topped kitchen island. "You think I could actually work with this? I mean, I'm no handyman."

"Hmm. I like how you look at me like I'm the expert." David took a swallow from his own tumbler. The British Albegas pilot wasn't much of a drinker, but he'd taken to the bottle a little more often than usual over the course of the last few weeks. He went with Courvoisier - it had been a personal sympathy gift from his brother-in-law Jon Hawkins.

"Dude. You're the one who redid this entire house. Look at this kitchen. I remember when you guys were engaged and Morgan walked us through the initial tour, and this kitchen was _gutted_. And now it's the nicest kitchen out of everybody's."

David took another swallow of cognac. "Do you know how I know that all seven hells are frozen over right now, Dalloway? It's because you're talking about kitchens. And remodeling. Even Morgan would say you've grown up."

Rolling his sapphire eyes, Aidan tipped back his blond head and finished the rest of his scotch in one gulp. "Hey now, I'm not _that _grown up." He paused to refill his glass. "Okay, well, maybe I _am _a little more grown up than I was, but that's all Lisa's fault. So maybe _one _hell is frozen over, but not all seven."

At his comment, David laughed. It had been the first time he'd laughed in weeks, and he was so grateful to have something to laugh about. Everything lately had been so depressing. He took another sip of Courvoisier.

They both turned their heads at the sound of someone bounding down the stairs. "Oh my God, guys!" Christiane cried out joyfully as she raced into the kitchen. "Len just called Morgan to tell her that Taye and Kelly got married on Dradin!"

"What?" Aidan cried out. "Benton took the plunge? Oh, seven hells, wait 'til Lisa finds out about this. I'll never hear the end of it."

"As you _shouldn't_," Christiane teased, wrapping her left arm around Aidan's shoulder. Her diamond ring - the ring he'd bought for Lenora a long time ago - twinkled on her finger. "_How_ long have you two been together? Besides, now you're the only unmarried Albegas crew member."

"Hush up, Kogane...er, Aki...whatever your name is now." He glanced back down at the blueprint on the island. "Besides, I just bought an apartment. I can't afford a diamond for Lisa."

David inhaled quickly, changing the subject before Christiane could grill Aidan further. "How did Morgan take the news?"

Christiane's smile faded slightly. "She's happy. Excited. I think she even smiled. Oh yes, she _definitely _smiled. Because they're gonna have a small reception on the terrace at Jon's and Len's place. And if anything can pull Morgan out of a funk, it's planning a wedding for her friends."

"Amen to that." Aidan lifted his tumbler. "Here's to draining Hawkins' bank account!"

"You are terrible, Dalloway," David chided.

"Indeed. I think we need to call up Benton and congratulate him." Then, with one more sip of scotch, he rolled up the blueprint and pulled out his phone to call his second-in-command. The remodeling talk would have to wait for now.


	2. Breathing Underwater

_Author's Note__: I am so excited that Taye & Kelly got hitched. Another wedding (and more dresses!) - oh, how I love love!_

_Usual disclaimer applies; I own nothing except my characters._

_To bknbu - Yea, it's good to be back! I've got so much planned for our friends that sometimes it even blows my mind. I bet you have a pretty good idea of what's happening with Morgan, but you'll find out soon. Very soon._

_To Sally On - You know I can never stay away from weddings! Kelly and Taye with Mansett as a witness? Awesome! And you'll see why Morgan's so down in this chapter._

_To FroofyB - I think I might look into a pair of bedazzled sneakers for Larmina. And I busted a move to get this chapter out for YOU!_

_To Wade Wells - Ah, Book #3. Didn't think we'd make it this far, huh? We still need to schedule a girls nite in now that the holidays are over!_

_**Title Song: "Breathing Underwater" by Metric**_

* * *

Hutch Nagato looked nervously over at Marvin Izu. Why had they been called to the commander's private chambers? No one was ever allowed in there unless the news was bad. The last time someone was called in there, Jeff had been given the news that his then-girlfriend had been kidnapped by Sky Marshal Wade.

Yeah, _that _news was as bad as it got.

"We're gettin' kicked offa the Explorer, Marvin, I just know it," Hutch sighed grimly as they approached the doorway. "Somehow, the commander must've found out about that last beat-down I gave you." He eyed his old friend suspiciously. "Hey, _you _didn't say anything, did you?"

"No way." Marvin shook his head. He knocked on the door. "Why squeal on you when I can stick your hand in a bucket of warm water while you're sleeping?"

_"Nice."_

The door slid open, and they stepped into Commander Hawkins' private quarters. To their surprise, they weren't the only ones there. Jeff, Cliff, Lisa, Ginger, and Cinda were already there, as was Crik Keats. Hutch really began to wonder about the urgency of the situation if the captains of the Land, Sea, and Air Teams were all there as well.

Once the door slid shut behind them, the commander addressed them all. "Well," he began, leaning against his desk and crossing his arms, "I wanted to announce that I received word from the Garrison today that First Officer Kelly Asimov and Sargeant Taye Benton have gotten married on Planet Dradin."

Cheers and squeals shot out through the room. Hutch finally understood why they were there. He, Marvin, Crik and Taye had all been very close at the Academy - the four of them had roomed together and lived in adjacent rooms for five years. They might not have considered themselves as "family" the way the other group of people in the room did, but they were still a close circle.

"Oh, my Kelly!" Cinda's face lit up with joy. She was sorry that she wasn't there to be maid of honor on Dradin, but she was thrilled for her old roommate. _Especially _since she'd had such a bad break-up from Modoch. "This is great! But they'd better be having a party - I have to congratulate them both in person!"

"Of course." The commander nodded. "As we speak, my two personal wedding planners are planning for a cocktail reception at my home, scheduled for after the Explorer docks in New York. You are all invited. It's a very small gathering." He cleared his throat. "I wanted to inform you now, because there will be no invitations. At the First Officer's request, of course."

"Of course." Jeff's voice was strained as he thought about the two aforementioned wedding planners, obviously Lenora and Morgan. Planning a wedding reception would be good for Morgan. It would lift her spirits and possibly pull her out of her funk. He was only sorry that he wasn't home for her right now when she needed him. After all, she was still the person he considered his best friend. Christiane was his wife. _Morgan _was his best friend.

"Why no invitations?" Marvin asked stupidly before the answer dawned on him. "Oh...how are we supposed to tell Modoch, Commander? That's kinda cruel, isn't it? I mean, he'll be the only member of the Land Team not invited...but I guess he did it to himself...I mean...it's weird but I guess it's his own fault...I mean..."

"Good Lord, Marvin!" Cliff laughed. "Open mouth, insert foot." He was very, very pleased for Kelly. He adored her - she had been his best female friend at the Academy, ever since they were partnered up in BALL201 their second year. He was so glad that she was finally getting a happy ending.

He wished _he _could find someone, too.

Glancing over at Lisa, Cliff noticed the stricken look on her face, and knew exactly what she was thinking. Another one of her girlfriends had gotten married, and Aidan _still _hadn't proposed to her. She looked like she was struggling to breathe. _Poor girl, _he thought, shaking his head. His best Mate was in no rush to marry Lisa, no matter how much he loved her.

Lisa was shaking. She had gone white, and her eyes were huge and glittery, like she was about to cry. Ginger, always attuned to her old roommate's emotions, grabbed her by the arm and escorted her out of the quarters, shooting the commander a knowing look as she did.

The commander knew. _Anyone _who knew Lisa and her extended romantic relationship with Aidan Dalloway knew. Lisa wanted to get married. She'd wanted to get married since she was dating Jeff. So he wasn't surprised that Ginger took her out of the room.

"Well, that's all for now," the commander said firmly, indicating that the meeting was over. "You can all go back to your regular duties. Jeff, you're up next on the bridge with Captain Newley and me."

There was a general murmur of assent in the room, and one by one, the remaining members filed out into the hallway until it was just Jeff. Clearing his throat, the Air Team captain asked, "Sir, I wanted to know...how's Morgan doing?"

Hawkins sighed. "Not so good, from what I've heard," he replied grimly, shaking his head. "She's very depressed. But I'm more concerned about David. He's devastated."

Jeff hated hearing that his friends were hurting so badly. He wished more than anything that the eight weeks would be over, the Explorer would dock, and he could spend time with them. This was the first time since he and Christiane had gotten married that he wanted to get home to be with his friends, not with his wife. That spoke volumes about how concerned he was. "Poor Rackens. I'm worried about him too."

"As am I, Jeff. Now, let's head to the bridge. We've got business to attend to."

* * *

Daniel was waiting for her on the balcony - the same balcony where she practiced her yoga nearly every morning. He looked over the railing and stared down at Lake Arus below, where - if one knew where and what to look for - one could see the outline of Blue Lion's underwater den. He stared downwards anxiously, seeking the image out with his violet eyes. He was nervous.

He was no longer the scrawny, scrappy cadet he'd been when Lance first recruited him. He was eighteen years old now, well on his way to becoming a real man and a serious candidate for a lion pilot. He'd grown several more inches, his shoulders had broadened, and he'd put on a few pounds of muscle. Inspired by watching Larmina transform from balancing her pilot training with yoga, and strengthening her body in the process, Daniel had turned to taking his pilot training seriously, often integrating strength training and meditation. It worked, sculpting his body, sharpening his reflexes, and honing his mind in the process.

"Daniel...I talked to my aunt."

He heard her heeled footsteps on the balcony and looked over. Larmina was beautiful. How could she _not _be? She looked like Allura's younger sister, with aquamarine eyes instead of emerald, dark strawberry-blond hair instead of gold. "And? If I'm sitting with Vince, Hunk and Cinda at the wedding reception, then where are _you _sitting?"

She sighed. "I'm at the head table."

His eyes narrowed. "With _who_?"

She knew he would be angry, she just knew it. "With my aunt and Keith, of course. And Lance and Ginger. And..."

He already knew the answer. "She put you with _Pidge_, didn't she. So the head table will look balanced, and you'll look cute with the Green Lion pilot next to you." He rolled his eyes. "Come _on_, Mina! Don't you realize that the entire planet - heck, the entire _universe_ - will start speculating about you and Pidge? Everybody'll think you're a couple!"

"But we're not. I know it, he knows it, and anyone who means anything to us knows it." She was trying her hardest to calm him down. "I'm not dating Pidge, he's just escorting me to the wedding reception." _I'm not dating __you__, either, _she wanted to tell him, but she bit her tongue.

She supposed they were both equally to blame for the predicament they were in now. When he turned eighteen three months earlier, he'd confessed to his fellow cadets that he'd never had a girlfriend; he'd never even kissed a girl before. Feeling a wave of pity overtake her, Larmina leaned in and gave him his first kiss ever, right in front of Vince, who hooted and cheered and then teased them both mercilessly afterwards. But it was supposed to stop there. It hadn't been meant as anything more than a friendly kiss.

Then, last month when she turned eighteen, she hadn't been expecting Daniel to return the favor. He surprised her with a dozen red roses - a move he'd picked up from Lance - and kissed her for hours in the privacy of her room before she decided, _What the heck. _They closed the deal. It had been the first time for both of them.

It was supposed to be a one-time deal. It wasn't supposed to mean anything; at most, they were doing each other a favor. Getting the first time out of the way so it wouldn't be awkward when they were in a relationship with someone else. They weren't supposed to do it again. And again a couple of days later. And then again the following week. Now they were closing the deal so often, they resembled being in a relationship.

Except that they _weren't_. Which was why Larmina was having such a tough time figuring out why Daniel was taking this Pidge-as-her-wedding-escort thing so poorly.

Until it dawned on her: maybe he _did _want a relationship and was feeling threatened by Vince's mentor.

_Is this really my life? _she thought. _Does Daniel want me to be his girlfriend? Is that even possible? Well, I suppose that my aunt's not marrying royalty, but still...I have __no__ desire to be married right now. Or even have a boyfriend._

But she didn't voice her concerns. Instead, she gently rubbed Daniel's shoulder, trying to calm him down and comfort him. They couldn't look at each other. Without exchanging words, they both looked down into Lake Arus, and Larmina felt as though she was struggling to breathe underwater.

* * *

When the doorman buzzed her guest in, Lenora had no doubt who was there. She waited the agonizingly long minutes for the elevator to arrive at the twelfth floor - the first floor of the triplex. There was wedding planning to get done, and there was no one better to do that with than her Wifey and oldest friend.

The knock came quickly at the door, and Lenora opened it, smiling broadly. Morgan stood in the hallway across from her, her violet eyes dull and lifeless. In the past few weeks, the navigator had been sad and depressed, and with good reason. Wordlessly, she stepped into the triplex.

"Hi, Wifey," she mumbled as she tossed her purse down. "Are we going to the terrace, or do you want to just knock out the details for this shindig in the living room?"

_Oh, this is bad. If Morgan of all people isn't into planning a wedding reception, then there's still a big problem. _"Whatever you want, Wifey," she chirped in reply. "We can stay right here if you want. Can I get you something to drink?" She shot her friend a cheerful glance. "I have chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, if you like."

Morgan gave one small nod as she settled onto the minimalist ivory suede sofa. She kicked off her low-heeled boots and curled up on the couch with her legs in a pretzel position. "Chard's good."

"Let me get it."

Lenora moved into the kitchen and uncorked a bottle of Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards chardonnay. For a brief moment, she wondered if it was okay for her friend to drink. She quickly dismissed the thought and poured the wine into two glasses.

Fortunately, when she returned to the living room, Morgan was already flipping through the binders from Per Se. She seemed interested and maybe even a little excited as ideas began to form in her head. Thanking her friend for the wine, she took a sip and began to feel a little less depressed.

"It _is _okay for you to drink, right?" Lenora asked quietly.

Morgan sighed. "Well, I'm not pregnant anymore, so I guess it's okay. The D&C was weeks ago, and I've stopped bleeding, so there's no problem on that end. And I never took the antidepressants that my OB recommended, so that's not an issue, either." She swirled the wine around in her glass. "I never thought I would have a miscarriage after almost making it out of my first trimester, Len. I can't even wrap my head around it. I feel like I can't breathe. Like I'm drowning." She closed her eyes. "Gods, is this my life? Am I being punished for what I did in the past?"

With a deep exhale, Lenora wrapped her arms around Morgan's shoulders. "I know, Wifey. And you're not being punished."

"Maybe not, but it sure feels like it." She paused. "I guess I never realized how much I wanted a baby until I lost this one." Her face crumpled, and a tear spilled onto her cheek. "You know what the worst part was, though? It was dealing with David. I mean, when I told him I was pregnant, he was so excited. Unbelievably excited. And you know what he told me?" She wiped the tear off her face. "He told me that he hoped it was a girl, because he wanted a little princess he could spoil. He would talk to my stomach and tell her how much he loved her and couldn't wait for her to get here. And then, when I had the miscarriage, it was like he _broke. _Like a part of him _died_."

Lenora felt gutted for the man she considered her brother. "Oh, Dave."

"Yeah...I really wish Jon was here to talk to him. He'd know what to say. Seven hells, all he's done is drink the Courvoisier your husband sent him."

"You guys are going through a rough patch. It's okay." Lenora lifted up her wineglass and took a long swallow. She allowed the both of them a moment to grieve in silence before lifting her arms.

"Wow. Thanks for that. I needed it." Morgan sipped at her glass until it was half-empty. "So I told David we've gotta lay low for a while. I need some time to get past this before we start trying again. I think I'm even gonna start the birth control injections again." She put the wineglass down on the coffee table and picked up the folder with the hors d'oeuvres listed in it. "Okay, no more sad talk. I want to get out of this funk. And looking at the food from Per Se is the perfect place to start."

"I'll say." Lenora leaned her head against Morgan's shoulder and looked through the food list with her. It was better to keep her friend busy and preoccupied with happy events than dwell on her miscarriage. Besides, no one was a better wedding planner. The Space Marshal could only keep her fingers crossed and hope that happier things were in store.


	3. Trouble

_Author's Note__: Oh, the things that are gonna happen...it's killing me..._

_To Sally On - I think you and I might be rooting for the same person in the Larmina/Daniel/Pidge triangle. And as for Morgan and David, well, I have a theory that says you can't fully appreciate the happy ending unless you've lived through some tragedy._

_To FroofyB - You're welcome! Just so you know, I will most likely be updating every Thursday night/Friday morning, UNLESS of course I have a vacation from work. (This is where Emie Mac would give me a thumbs-up.) As for Aidan and Lisa, I left a miniscule clue in chapter one when Aidan said, "I just bought an apartment. I can't afford a diamond for Lisa." Remember he said that - it'll all come together later._

_To Emie Mac - I missed you, Babe! Good thing there's only a few days left to this month. (And see the aforementioned thumbs-up.)_

_To Wade Wells - I don't care for the cadets the way NickToons portrayed them. They came off as bratty and entitled for the most part. So I'm writing them the way __I__ want to see them. And as for Lotor...keep reading._

_**Title Song: "Trouble" by Coldplay**_

* * *

When Lance entered Castle Control, he had been purposely looking for Keith. Not that there had been much to do in terms of defending Arus and the rest of the universe; there had been only quiet from Doom. Come to think of it, nearly everything had been quiet lately, save for the wedding planning. When it came to _that_, Nanny had been more than willing to make up for the silence. _And _she was scarier than any robeast Maahox or Haggar could have come up with, as she was always ready to stir up trouble.

Keith was seated there, looking like he'd never stood up from the control panel. There was an empty coffee mug next to him, and from the looks of it, he'd refilled it a few times. He worked diligently on a report that looked like...well, _not _like a report.

"Hey Crankypants, I've been looking for you."

The Voltron captain smiled. Since his engagement, he'd been in an incredibly good mood, which made the title of _Captain Crankypants _all but obsolete. But that didn't mean that the Red Lion pilot didn't continue to address him as such. "What is it, Lance? What do you need?"

"On behalf of Nanny, I have to ask you a question concerning our suiting for the wedding," he cracked dryly. "I know we're wearing tuxedos for the reception, but what are we wearing for the ceremony and coronation? Are we wearing our Voltron flight suits, or are we wearing our formal uniforms, or tuxes, or what?" He buried his face in his hands. "Gods, this stuff depresses me. I sound like a girl."

"Well, I've got something I can cheer you up with." Keith turned his face back to the computer screen and the non-report he'd been working on. "Your Sis sent her love this morning."

Lance's hazel eyes brightened momentarily. "You talked to Len this morning?"

"Yes." Keith nodded. "Only Allura knows this, but I suppose I can tell you this if you promise to keep your big mouth shut."

"Oh, you _know _that's a promise I can't keep."

"Fine. I'll still tell you anyway." The Voltron captain seemed almost playful. _That woman's done him a lot of good, _Lance thought briefly. "There are going to be more Space Academies. Len's already got two more slated to open on Earth, and she's been scouting planets in the Alliance for more. Allura and I have agreed to let her build one on Arus."

"Wow! That is so _cool_!" Lance shrieked. "There's gonna be a Space Academy on this planet!" He stood behind Keith and stared at the computer screen. "So that's what this report is all about. You're trying to find a parcel of land big enough to build the Academy on so you can sell it to the Garrison."

"Exactly. We want to make the sale." Lance conveniently failed to point out the fact that Keith was already using the _royal we_. "So Len will be here ten days before the wedding to look over parcels and negotiate a price. She said she wants to lock down the sale by the time we get married. Then, once the other two Academies are open, construction will begin on the Academy here."

Lance swallowed. "That's great. But if I remember correctly, aren't Sven, Romelle, Bandor and Emma supposed to be here around the same time? Don't forget, Romelle is looking forward to helping Allura prepare for the wedding." He rolled his eyes. "I cannot _believe _I remembered that. I have officially been sucked into the wedding planning vortex."

Instead of being amused, Keith looked like he wanted to slap his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Seven hells, Lance. I completely forgot. Oh, this is going to get ugly." He shot a worried glance over at his second-in-command. "Do you think that maybe you can keep one or the other occupied at all times so that nobody runs into each other?"

"Sure." Lance shrugged. "Geez, whoever would've thought that being your best man would have so much work attached to it? I mean, I've gotta keep the _other _royal consort from running into his old fiancée, I've gotta host a bachelor party and give a speech in front of twelve hundred guests, I've gotta deal with Nanny, I've gotta figure out what I'm gonna wear..." His voice trailed off. "Hey, Crankypants? You _still _haven't told me what we're supposed to be wearing for the ceremony and coronation."

Keith sighed. He might have been feeling overjoyed, but Nanny would turn him back into _Crankypants _for sure.

* * *

Ginger sat quietly in Lisa's quarters, letting her oldest friend sob quietly into her pillow without judgement. She knew how devastated the former Interplanetary Relations specialist was over hearing about Kelly's marriage to Taye. Not that she wasn't happy for her old friend; she was thrilled for her. She was just miserable for herself.

Lisa had been with Aidan for over two years. She had to admit, that was a record - for him, not her. She'd lost track of how many years she dated Jeff, only to be told in the most humiliating fashion possible that he never saw himself marrying her. And _then _she had to stand by and smile as Jeff married Christiane.

She couldn't do that again. She couldn't live through that again.

"You think you can pull yourself together, Lis?"

Lisa lifted her head off the pillow. "I don't know. Maybe."

Ginger sighed. "Lisa, I love you, but you know my take on marriage. The best marriage is no marriage." She shrugged. "Hon, it's about the guy and the relationship, _not _the ring and the white dress. If Aidan loves you - and I mean, _really _loves you - that should matter more than being married to someone who doesn't really love you just for the sake of being married."

Closing her eyes, Lisa replied, "Aidan knows I want to get married and have kids. I feel like if he _really _loved me, he'd propose."

"Wow. If you guys ever get married, remind me to whack the Bridezilla right out of you."

The Sea Team member's not-so-nice retort was cut off by a knock at the door. Cinda entered the room, followed by Hardware, the little green robot that acted as the team's mascot. "Look, Lis! Hardware came in to check on you," Ginger cooed as the little robot nuzzled up against her leg. Looking down at it, she asked sweetly, "You think you can cheer her up, Hardware?"

Lisa sat up on the bed, and Cinda sat down on the floor across from her. "Are you feeling okay?" the Miran asked, frowning. "I know it must be tough, knowing that Kelly got married and you're still waiting on Aidan to propose."

"Oof. That's like throwing gasoline on the fire, Cin," Ginger informed her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cause trouble," the Land Team member apologized.

"Ugh." Lisa threw her head back down on the pillow. "I don't want to discuss this anymore. Can we please talk about something else? Something _other _than the fact that Aidan Dalloway is never going to propose to me?"

"Sure." Cinda shrugged. "What are you two going to wear to Kelly's wedding?"

Lisa chucked the pillow at her.

* * *

The king had been quiet. Cryptic. Contemplative. Just the same way he had been from the moment he found out about his beloved Allura's abhorrent engagement to the even more abhorrent Captain Keith Akira Kogane.

Maahox and Wade were dumbfounded by Lotor's behavior upon learning that he would never have the princess's heart. The had both thought for sure - for _sure _- that he would have flown off the handle in an embroiled rage. But no, thus far he had kept his anger in a simmering check, which Wade both liked and found useful.

He liked it because a quiet Lotor was one he didn't have to listen to. He was tired of the Drule king's boasting and screaming. It had grown old, not to mention pathetic and immature. Blaming one's shortcomings and failures on everyone else was something a child would do, not a man and certainly not a soldier. It was wearisome and caused resentment to fester in the former Sky Marshal's blood.

But even better, he found it useful because a quiet Lotor was a dangerous Lotor, and there was no telling what evil thoughts were running rampant through his head. Evil thoughts that would undoubtedly come in handy in their quest to take down the Alliance, one planet at a time.

Passing by Lotor's chambers on the way to Maahox's laboratory, Wade smirked to himself. He had been on the run from the Alliance for nearly two years, and in all that time, no one had caught him. Of course, they knew that he had teamed up with Lotor - he had told them all that himself at the start of their failed mission to capture Christiane Kogane. Yet they hadn't been able to capture him. He'd always slipped through their fingers, eluding them.

Having been on Planet Doom for so long, Wade no longer felt the need to knock on the door to Maahox's lab anymore. He and the occult scientist had formed a twisted sort of kinsmanship, almost to the point where they could communicate just with a look. Lotor didn't have a clue, and he certainly didn't join in.

"Charles," Maahox greeted him without looking up from his lab set-up, "what brings you here?"

In a way, Wade enjoyed the fact that Maahox was one of the very few individuals to call him by his first name. When he was at the helm of the Garrison, he was either addressed formally, or informally by his middle name of _Herbert. _He hated the name Herbert; it sounded old and ridiculous. But he was hardly ever addressed by his first name of _Charles_. That was the first name of Space Marshal Hingham, who held the position before Graham. And no one had ever liked that man, even though he did a fine job of running the Garrison.

"I wanted to check on the status of the Predator Robeast," he answered. "How are the Haggarium transfusions coming?"

"Very well. It has taken some time, but I would say that within the next two to three months, the Haggarium modifications will be at their optimal levels." Maahox smiled a ratty smile. "I would say that in three months' time, we will have an indestructible super-robeast."

"The problem with that plan, dear Maahox, is that we don't have three months' time."

The occult scientist gaped, mouth open, as his gaze traveled over Wade's shoulder. The Sky Marshal knew who was there. There was only one person it could have been, and besides, the sarcasm in his voice was enough to give him away. "My lord, please don't rush this."

Lotor scowled. "Within three months, my beloved Allura will be married to that despicable Captain Keith. I don't intend to allow that to happen, Maahox. You either need to speed up the Haggarium infusions on the Predator Robeast, or you need to figure something else out to take over Arus before the wedding. I won't just stand by idly and allow that marriage take place."

With his back to the king, Wade rolled his eyes. It was such a _Lotor _request to make. And yet...

"Perhaps there is something else Maahox can do," Wade suggested innocently.

The occult scientist's one eye popped out of his head. It glared at the Sky Marshal for a moment, then fell back into its socket. "Well, perhaps," he grumbled. "There may be other things I can try."

"Then do it," Lotor snapped.

As he left the lab, Wade shot a grin back at Maahox. "You heard him. Get to it."

"And just what do you have in mind, Charles?"

"I don't know. Come up with something - _anything _- that might make Lotor think he can conquer Arus. And then, when he is defeated, we will still have the Predator Robeast left to use. We'll lull the Voltron Force into a false sense of security, and then hit them with the Predator Robeast when they least expect it."

Maahox nodded, liking the idea, and turned back to his set-up.

Wade left the lab, the wheels in his brain spinning. He knew that Maahox would follow his order, and he knew that Lotor would be pleased that there was something he could do to fight on Arus before the wedding. But what neither of them knew was that there was no way Lotor could win a fight against Voltron by himself. And Wade would not help the king out under these circumstances. If he was foolish enough to fight against their enemies alone, then so be it.

He could die alone, as well.

* * *

The Explorer had been contacted. Per Se had been called. Dates had been booked, arrangements had been made, food and alcohol had been ordered. And, of course, a little black dress had been purchased.

Now that the details for Kelly's and Taye's wedding gathering had been taken care of, Lenora went back to work on scouting out new territories for a Space Academy. She paged her secretary to send in her Interplanetary Relations specialist, but to send Lieutenant Brown into the office first.

"Brown. It's good to see you." She flashed him a smile, thinking that it wasn't fair that he and Stebbins had been at the rank of lieutenant for more than fifteen years now. "Where's Lieutenant Stebbins?"

Brown shrugged. "His son is ill, so he took the day off."

Lenora looked disappointed. "That's too bad. I would have liked for him to be here as I conduct my business." Tightening her lips into a straight line, she continued, "I think you know that I have hired a new Interplanetary Relations specialist, Justine Gartrell. I would like to advance her to a rank of Lieutenant."

Brown looked nervous. "Am I to believe that you're firing one of us, Space Marshal?"

She shook her head emphatically. "Of course not. I think you and Stebbins are due a rank advancement as well..._Major_."

The man looked like he might cry out of shock. "Are you serious?"

"Very."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

Brown stood and threw his arms around her. "Len, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"It's my pleasure, Don. You and Jason both deserve it." She hugged him back, remembering a lifetime ago when the three of them had been lieutenants under Graham together. "Now, go speak with my secretary and talk to Human Resources. And if you should happen to hear from Stebbins, well, give him the good news."

Her newly-ranked Major saluted as he headed out of the office, a huge grin plastered to his face. As he left, the Space Marshal realized that this was what being in charge was all about: taking care of those people who had been loyal to her.

Which was why she needed to find Wade and bring him to justice.

Once her office was quiet again, she paged her secretary once more. "Could you please send Tech Sargeant Gartrell in now?"

"Certainly," came the answer.

Lenora waited for the Interplanetary Relations specialist to come in. She needed to bestow her next outbound trip upon the woman, as well as her new rank of Lieutenant.


	4. Trojans

_Author's Note__: So I finally broke down and purchased the "Voltron: Year One" comics from Dynamite Entertainment. I have to say, a LOT of good information came out of them, so it was a purchase well made. Both Justine Gartrell and Byron, along with Planet Pileria, have their roots in those comics, so I don't own them...but I DO own just about every other character and planet you might not recognize._

_I have to say a huge thank you to __**FroofyB **__for helping me out with military ranking. (You'd think I'd have dated enough military guys to get the rankings right, but what do I know?) Anyways, according to my newfound education, the official military ranking, from lowest to highest, is as follows: 1st and 2nd Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel, Colonel, Brigadoon General, Major General, Lt. General, and General. So, yes, the Space Marshal promoting her two lieutenants to "Sargeant" was more of a demotion. I now stand corrected: Brown and Stebbins have officially been promoted to Major (there's nothing for them to be captain of), and I have revised the previous chapter to reflect it._

_To bknbu - Of COURSE Lotor wasn't going to sit this one out without a fight! And it'll be a good one too. As for Holgersson moving on...well, I'm pretty sure he's working on it, but we'll see how well that goes._

_To Sally On - I love your man Lance. He gets all the best lines, I swear! And as for Lotor, don't count him out just yet. You KNOW he won't just stand by and let Keith marry Allura without a fight!_

_To FroofyB - I guess it was easy for Lance to get sucked into the wedding vortex...after all, who'd want to go one-on-one against Nanny? He'd NEVER win!_

_To Wade Wells - "Daniel's Got A Secret" stories run rampant around this place! And keep your eyes open for Allura's dress, I'll be sending it to you._

_**Title Song: "Trojans" by Atlas Genius (GREAT song!)**_

* * *

When he awoke in the morning with Romelle asleep by his side, he was already agitated. Frustrated. It would difficult for him to find a way to calm down. If he was stalking around the streets of Pollux, he'd raise suspicion among her already-wary people. It would only be worse if he was stalking around the castle. He decided that a tough workout might help tamp down the Haggarium struggling to take over his system.

Sven headed to the gym, quietly staking claim in a corner with a bench, a barbell, and weighted plates. Sure, it was primitive, but it was effective nonetheless. He ripped his shirt off over his head, leaving just a tank top on. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he noted the purple glow in his eyes, followed by the scars on his shoulders and neck. All of it from the robeast attack.

He could not continue like this. He could not sit by and wait for the Haggarium in his veins to consume him. To _destroy _him. Even though it kept him in peak shape - he worked out, watched his diet, slept as much as he could to keep the infection under control - it would ultimately be his demise if he didn't do something about it.

He was too proud and too stubborn to say anything. As he bench-pressed two hundred pounds over his chest, he realized that one systems analyst couldn't do it alone. Pidge and his sidekick - _That little cadet, Vince _- couldn't come up with an antidote by themselves. He needed the entire team of scientists, analysts, and health care professionals at the Garrison to help him through this. And he didn't know if the fact that his _elskede _was part of that team would help him or hurt him.

Sven could change it all - his looks, his relationship with his wife, what he did in his position as a royal consort - but it wouldn't help. What he _couldn't _change who he was or where he'd been. And he certainly couldn't change this Haggarium infection, not by himself. Not without help. He needed to come to terms with his life at the present, and seek the appropriate help to make it better in the future. So that he _would _have a future.

* * *

Chocolate-brown eyes gazed into sea-grey ones.

_She's pretty, _Lenora thought as her Interplanetary Relations specialist sat down in the chair across from her desk. It was the first time she'd really studied the woman in person; mostly they were in a teleconference or, if they were face-to-face, it was in a rush. But now that they were spending an unhurried amount of time together, she could see it - Justine Gartrell was pretty.

"Space Marshal," she greeted Lenora as she made herself comfortable in the chair, "your secretary said you had a matter of the utmost importance. Have you decided where you're going to send me first?"

"Yes," Lenora replied. "I will be sending you to Planet Pileria to scout things out from there. I have met with the main representative from that planet, and he is more than happy to work something out with us. Provided that we find a space suitable enough, and that we can get along with the politicians, of course. Pileria has been known to be a bit..._hostile_ at times."

"So I'm like your Trojan horse, then, am I?"

"It seems it." She paused. "But that's not the reason I wanted to speak with you."

"Oh?" Justine lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. "Then what was the matter of the quote-unquote utmost importance?"

"You've been at the rank of Tech Sargeant for how many years now, Gartrell?"

The woman looked contemplative. "I received the title of Tech Sargeant at my graduation from the Space Academy. That was eleven years ago, Space Marshal - I graduated the year after you did." She paused, and Lenora did not miss the look of contempt that flashed in those grey eyes. "I worked here under Graham, I worked here under Wade, and now I'm working here under you, all at the same rank and the same pay."

_At the same salary, _Lenora thought bitterly, feeling the same amount of contempt at Wade. "I can only imagine how frustrating that's been for you."

"It has been." Justine wasn't one to mince words.

"Well then, I have a proposition for you, Tech Sargeant." Lenora leaned forward in her chair. "I recruited you specifically because you are the best in your field. Even Lisa Kaga, the Interplanetary Relations specialist I consider as part of my family, is not as experienced as you are in communicating with the dignitaries and representatives of other planets. So, since I am going to be putting your skills to use a lot more than previous Space Marshals have, I've decided to give you a promotion..._Lieutenant."_

Justine's mouth dropped open. Her jaw twitched as though she wanted to say something, but she couldn't get the words out. She finally let out a little squeak, which was as close to a word as she could muster.

The Space Marshal smiled. "Words aren't necessary, Justine. You're welcome."

The woman could only nod. Finally, she sputtered, "I'm shocked. Thank you so much, Space Marshal. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

"I know _I _will appreciate the work you do, Lieutenant Gartrell. Go speak to Human Resources and let them know that you've been promoted. There is a substantial pay increase to go along with your new position."

She nodded again. "I will, thank you. And I promise you I'll work hard for you, and I'll find you the best planets to build on." She rose from the chair to head for the door.

"I know you will, Lieutenant. I know you will."

* * *

Since the cadets had arrived on Arus, Pidge had grown used to having Vince around him in the lab. The boy - _He's not a boy anymore, Genius, _Pidge scolded himself - possessed an intellect that very few people could appreciate. If one wasn't a systems analyst or Tech Sargeant, one would completely miss what Vince brought to the table.

Fortunately, the Green Lion pilot recognized brilliance when he saw it. He was sure that if Vince had stayed at the Academy instead of coming to Arus, he would have chosen to specialize in systems analysis like he and Chip did.

"So, the upgrade in castle defenses is supposed to begin _when_?" the cadet asked, checking over the digital schematics that Pidge had suspended mid-air. "I know you want everything to be in effect for the wedding, but when do you plan on beginning the upgrade process?"

"I've already started it," Pidge answered matter-of-factly, rolling around the lab in his wheeled chair. "There are more supplies I need to purchase, of course, but the initial phase is nearly completed, and I've just started the second phase."

"Great." Vince's keen eye pored over the schematics. "So there will be tighter security measures throughout the castle and grounds?"

"Yes. The upgrades merely made an improvement over what exists in the castle right now. Motion sensors are now on a hair trigger, and I'm installing detectors for light and sound as well. We can't take too many precautions, not with the sheer amount of guests in the palace." Pidge shook his head. "In addition, there will be more security staff on the grounds, plain-clothes in addition to uniformed. Like I said, we can't take too many precautions."

Vince read between the lines. "So you think Lotor and Wade might try to attack again?"

Pidge exhaled. "It's likely. More so Lotor than Wade, I'm sure. Lotor tends to let his emotions get the better of him, and he likely views this marriage as a personal affront to him. Wade, on the other hand - he's a soldier. He doesn't take things like this personally. If anything, he'd use it to his advantage, striking while we're celebrating."

"Of course." Clearing his throat, Vince decided he had to ask one more question. He'd promised Daniel, and though he felt stupid - who was he kidding; this was _so _stupid - he made himself do it. "So Pidge? Is it true that you're escorting Larmina to the wedding reception?"

From the glint in the Voltron pilot's green eyes, the cadet could tell that it was true, and that he was more than pleased about it. "Well, Vince, you know what I always say about gossip in this castle: it sure gets around."

"So then, it _is _true."

"It is. Let's just say, Allura takes care of her people."

A knot of dread began to form in the pit of Vince's stomach. It was obvious that Pidge liked Larmina. And if Pidge liked Larmina _and _Daniel liked Larmina, then who would win out in the fight for her heart? Then, just as quickly, the knot loosened and disappeared. Come on, this was Larmina they were talking about. _Larmina._

She probably wouldn't want either one of them.

* * *

It had been a huge, _huge _day. A promotion, a salary increase, and a chance to get away from Earth for a week. Sure, it was on business and not on vacation - and it was on Pileria, which was even _less _of a reason to celebrate - but any chance to deviate from routine was welcomed.

Justine slid the key into her apartment door. She'd been living there with her boyfriend Byron for about three years. It was a small space, too cramped for two people, but they made the best of it. Byron was a big guy, and he'd probably appreciate having their queen-sized bed to himself for a while while she was on Pileria.

She'd met Byron when she was just sixteen years old. They had both specialized in Interplanetary Relations, which was mostly a female-dominated field. So, naturally, all of the females in their class flocked to him. It _was _the natural order, after all, and Byron was handsome with his dark brown hair, golden brown eyes, chiseled jaw and muscular build.

So, naturally, Justine hated him.

It was only when they were stationed together six years ago, when Wade first took over the Garrison and the Alliance, that Justine and Byron got to know each other. Where she'd found him arrogant before, she now found him sweet and charming. And he _liked _her. He was a catch!

It was easy. A nice guy, easy on the eyes, who liked her. She'd have been a fool to turn him down. So she didn't. Except...

Except.

She was fond of Byron. She loved him. But she didn't know if she was _in _love with him. Every time she thought she might be crazy, that the two of them were made for each other, he'd come out with a snide comment or a sarcastic remark. Or, worse, he'd become jealous of their separate missions - they hadn't had a mission together since their first - and constantly analyze and compare, growing moody and withdrawn if her mission was more exciting or in a better location than his.

_Well, this time I'm going to Pileria. He can't have much to say about that._

Then she remembered. The promotion to Lieutenant. The salary increase. The fact that she'd be working with the Space Marshal - the _Space Marshal_! - one-on-one for her personal missions. Byron was going to have a fit. He'd be so jealous that he wouldn't speak to her for days. She was sure of it.

Suddenly nervous, she hesitantly stepped into the apartment. Byron was already home, sitting on the couch and watching the viewing screen, checking the score on some game, two tray tables already in front of him. "Hey, Babe," he greeted her, not tearing his eyes away from the screen. "How was your day? I got us some Chinese takeout."

"Ooh, yum." Justine closed the door behind her, then stepped out of her boots. She leaned in to kiss him - his breath smelled like chicken and broccoli with curry sauce - and pulled her long blond hair out of its ponytail. "Smells good. How was your day?"

"Eh. The usual." Using his chopsticks, Byron speared a piece of chicken and plopped it into his mouth. "Nothing new or special. How about yours?"

She inhaled. "Byron, I got promoted today. Space Marshal Stensson promoted me to Lieutenant, and gave me a significant pay increase. She says that from now on, I'm her personal Interplanetary Relations specialist, and she's already got me scouting out Planet Pileria for my first mission."

He stopped chewing. It looked like it was difficult for him to swallow. Finally, he came out with a half-hearted, "Congratulations. That's great."

She knew it. She _knew _he would be upset. Curling into the couch, she picked at her food and kept her eyes glued to the viewing screen. She didn't even bother to attempt conversation. He wouldn't get over this so easily. And from the hurt radiating off him, he might _never _be able to get over this.

That thought plagued her in bed later when he turned his back to her and began to sleep. Staring up at the ceiling through the dark, she wondered how much longer she could put up with a man who was so jealous of her career.


	5. Try

_Author's Note__: A while back, one of my readers (__**Pinky Starflower**__, you know who you are) wrote to me and suggested that Romelle could use a political position. After all, she IS the princess of Pollux, and since she's a mother now, she's not exactly leaping onto the battlefield. Point taken!_

_To Sally On - I thought we already covered the Sven-as-train-wreck ground? Hmm, and I think it is QUITE possible that Pidge put a bug in Allura's ear over Larmina._

_To Emie Mac - I miss Jeff too! Let's see what we can do to get him back here. As for Pidge and Larmina, I think Daniel might put up a fight in the regard._

_To FroofyB - As long as you tell me when I've got spinach in my teeth, we're square. Hey, it's like Ms. Wells says, when you love a story, you want to help make it the best possible story ever._

_To bknbu - Hooray, I'm glad you can still read and enjoy. Stupid work! ;)_

_To Wade Wells - Poor Justine. If it were me, I sure as heck wouldn't stay with a dude like Byron. But maybe that'll work out in her favor? As for Lotor...you know he's not smart enough to leave matters alone when it comes to Allura._

_**Title Song: "Try" by P!nk (if you haven't seen this video, go YouTube it now)**_

* * *

As usual, he woke her every time he got out of bed in the morning.

He never meant to wake her, ever. It just happened. Allura was so used to Keith's presence on the mattress that she instinctively woke when he slid out of bed. His reassuring weight was gone, his warmth was gone...how could she _not _wake up?

"Perimeter scan?" she mumbled. It was their routine: he'd leave the bed, she'd wake up and groggily ask him if he was off to do perimeter scan, knowing full well that the answer was yes. It amused her, and it kept her mind off the fact that they would have to wait until the end of the day to be together in bed again.

"Of course," he answered, stripping his clothes off and heading towards the shower. She was treated to a glorious view of his completely bare backside as he walked away, and she realized that the month left until their wedding couldn't go by fast enough. She wanted to be his wife.

Then there was the question of Blue Lion.

As Allura tried to settle herself back into the pillows, she found that thoughts of Blue were infiltrating her brain. She knew that her stint as a Voltron pilot was rapidly coming to an end. She couldn't try be queen of Arus and Blue Lion's pilot; it was just too much to take on. And if there were children involved...well, there was no way she'd put herself at risk.

She and Keith had spoken at length, with Coran and without, about their roles on the Voltron Force and what would happen after they were married. It was finally decided that, as long as Black Lion wanted it, Keith could stay on as its pilot and as captain of the Voltron Force. Allura, however, could not continue in her role. She had to relinquish it.

There was no question as to who the mantle would fall on next. Green Lion had chosen Vince, Red Lion had chosen Daniel, and Blue Lion had chosen Larmina. When it was time, Blue had made it clear that Larmina was its next pilot.

That time was nearly upon them. She just had to try to put her faith in Voltron.

Allura closed her emerald eyes and laid her head back against the pillow. She heard the water in the shower running, heard Keith step in and close the shower door behind him. A grin crept onto her lips. _Why not?_

Rolling out of the bed, she quickly shed her garments and made her way to the shower to join her fiancé. If there was a better way to begin the day, she hadn't yet found it.

* * *

Bandor had good news. News he couldn't wait to share with his sister.

Pollux had been part of an Alliance before finding out about Galaxy Garrison. At the time, he had been young, fifteen or sixteen at best, and had joined in an alliance with Arus and five other planets to fight the forces of Doom during the Zarkonian Wars. Now, though, at twenty-seven, he was king of Pollux, married and hoping to produce an heir at some point in the near future, and there was no way he could continue on as many missions as he previously had.

His sister, on the other hand? She would be the perfect representative. She was the model of what any planet's royal ambassador should be. And now that Pollux had officially joined the Galaxy Alliance, being the ambassador would further her marriage. She would be the constant reminder to the Space Marshal - as well as Prince Erimar - that she was Sven Holgersson's wife.

As he skirted off to the nursery, he knew that he would find his wife there as well. Emma and Romelle were closer than any two sisters could be, much closer than Emma was to her flesh-and-blood sister, Queen Clarissa of Planet Exxus. And she adored Erik, so it was natural for her to spend her time in the nursery. He could hardly wait until she was in the nursery with their own child.

Rosalie, the nursemaid, was also in the nursery, tidying things up and preparing meals for Erik, but generally staying out of the way. She moved some of his toys out of the way so the boy could toddle around the cheerful yellow room. All eyes were on Erik, so much so that no one noticed that Bandor was standing in the doorway. Finally, Rosalie looked up and gave a quick curtsy. "Your Majesty," she murmured.

"Please, Ros. Don't go all formal for me." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I wanted to speak to my sister, if I'm not interrupting anything." He looked down at Erik, who toddled his way over to his uncle. The king picked him up and placed a firm kiss on the top of the boy's head.

"Is it private?" Emma asked, casting a glance in Rosalie's direction. "We'll leave, if you'd like us to."

Bandor shook his head. "Oh no, nothing like that." He smiled at his wife. "I just wanted to tell my sister that I have nominated her as the Polluxian ambassador to the Galaxy Alliance." He then looked over at Romelle. "I thought it would be a good position for you. You can stay in the thick of things without having to get on the battlefield, and..."

He didn't need to finish his statement. Romelle knew exactly what he was doing by appointing her as the ambassador. He was really trying to help her to save her marriage. "That's wonderful news, Bandor. Thank you. Tell me, will there be an official announcement, or will the changes be documented at the next meeting?"

"To my general knowledge, there is an official memo being relayed to the planets of the Alliance. I don't know if it's a big deal, but I do know that whenever a meeting is held, all ambassadors are expected to represent their planets."

Emma, delighted, gripped Romelle's arm. "Oh, this is wonderful news!" she exclaimed, crossing the room and wrapping her husband up in her embrace. "It's about time you finally realized that your sister has more stately things to do than hole herself up in this castle and watch Erik." She took the boy out of Bandor's arms and placed a handful of kisses all over his cheeks. "No matter _how _cute he is."

Romelle inhaled, suddenly dumbstruck. She didn't quite know what else to say in response. She was pleased that her brother had thought of her, and even more pleased that this was an outstanding opportunity to showcase her statesmanship skills. Unfortunately, she also knew that being the ambassador would put her in direct contact with the Space Marshal, however infrequently, as well as Prince Erimar. The idea of being in such close contact with them made her feel claustrophobic.

"What do you think, Romelle? Is it okay with you?"

She nodded. "Bandor, if you have enough faith in me to nominate me for the position, then I am honored to accept."

"Wonderful." He wrapped an arm around her, and she playfully yanked on one of his wayward red curls. She knew that this position might not work out how her brother had intended. It might not save her marriage; it might not threaten or intimidate the "objects of their affection." But she knew she couldn't just give up. She had to try.

* * *

Hunk was in the garage. Usually, Pidge or one of the cadets would be with him, helping him to enhance Voltron or repair terrain vehicles, but not today. Today, the Yellow Lion pilot just wanted to be by himself.

Despite his friendly demeanor and cheerful outlook, he was the epitome of anti-social. He preferred mechanics and technology far more than human company. Perhaps that had something to do with his upbringing. Being the youngest - and smallest - of five boys, he was the odd man out. His four older brothers were bigger and faster; they paired up against each other _and _against him. It wasn't that he didn't love them, they were his brothers. Growing up in Tennessee, that was just what brothers did. But it did shape him into what he'd become.

Pidge would say his upbringing had scarred him for life.

He paused for a drink of water, leaning against the hoverbike he'd been working on. Hunk was not a romantic in any sense, but lately he'd been thinking about Cinda. A _lot_. He could've asked anyone to be his date for Keith's and Allura's wedding - there was no shortage of beautiful women on Arus who would have killed to attend the royal event with a member of the Voltron Force - but Cinda was the only woman he wanted to ask. It always came back to that blue-skinned Miran girl.

_Why her? Why now? _He couldn't figure it out. Back at the Academy, when they'd been glued together at the hip, talking engineering and how much they hated Instructor Bradley, he'd never felt even the faintest romantic spark for her. But last year, when the three Voltrons had teamed up to battle Lotor and Wade while rescuing Keith's sister, things felt...different. He hadn't realized how much he missed her. They were like two peas in a pod.

_Where there's a spark..._

Casting his confused thoughts aside, Hunk set down his bottle of water and resumed working on the hoverbike. He hated having conflicted emotions and jumbled thoughts. Well, there was no sense in trying to work it all out now. He'd just have to wait until the Explorer was docked and Cinda was back in his sights to figure out how to proceed.

* * *

Erimar called for a draught of Tyvellian armagnac before holing up in his private office.

The prince was proud of his accomplishments. During the Zarkonian Wars, Doom had all but destroyed the royal family - his parents were both slain on the throne, and his older brother Erkhon, the prince who had been betrothed to Queen Clarissa of Planet Exxus, had died on the battlfield. Planet Tyvel had been levelled with little hope of coming back.

But something happened. _Voltron _happened.

His childhood friend Allura, crown princess of Arus and soon to be its queen, held the defender of the universe in the palm of her hands. As Zarkon and the forces of Planet Doom turned all of its attention there, Tyvel began the arduous task of rebuilding. Because the prince was so young, a parliament was put into place to rule until Erimar gained majority at the age of eighteen. And then they ruled the planet jointly.

Parliament had been hinting for the past few years that it was time for the prince to take a royal bride and ascend the throne as king. Originally, Parliament thought that perhaps Erkhon's betrothal to Clarissa could be carried over to the younger prince, but Erimar would hear nothing of it. Though she had every right to be, he found the woman to be bitter and ill-tempered.

Then, once he received an invitation to the ball on Arus, he thought that maybe Allura could become his bride.

If he thought about it, they were perfect together. Perfect on paper, anyway. They had been childhood friends, and their older brothers had both fallen in battle in the war against Doom. Neither one of them was supposed to take the throne, but through sheer ill fate, it happened. And he _liked _her. He knew he could eventually grow to love her if they had married. But no, unfortunately for him, her heart belonged to Voltron's captain, leaving him out of luck.

There was only one woman, though, who'd made his heart soar from the moment he met her: Allura's cousin, the beautiful Romelle of Pollux.

After going to Pollux for her brother's wedding, Erimar could see how beaten-down the princess was. Her husband was enamored with another woman, she was torn between her duty to her people and her loyalty to family, and she was still busy rebuilding her own war-devastated planet. She was at a low point in her marriage and could not help but seek solace in the arms - and bed - of Tyvel's prince.

And yet, she chose to return to her husband anyway.

With a sigh, Erimar brought up the memo he had just received from Galaxy Garrison. The beautiful princess's face lit up the screen as he read that Romelle was now the official Polluxian ambassador to the Galaxy Alliance. Of course. Of course she was. Now, every time he had to attend a meeting, he would see her. And he would be reminded of how she hadn't chosen him.

With a sip of armagnac, he wondered how the Space Marshal felt about this new turn of events.


	6. Home

_Author's Note__: Happy Valentine's Day! This chapter is my Valentine chapter, and it makes me super happy. Hopefully it makes all of you happy, too. And I LOVE the fact that everybody was pleased to see Erimar back again! He is my favorite good/bad guy._

_To bknbu - Yes, Erimar is TOTALLY going to throw the proverbial monkey wrench into things. Just. Like. Always._

_To Sallly On - Don't worry, there'll be a scene where Allura hands Blue over to Larmina. And now the pressure's on for me to do it justice!_

_To Wade Wells - Ironically, in the "Year One" comics, Justine ended the series on a date with __Hunk__. Hmm. I love how DDP put Cinda and Lisa with Hunk, and Dynamite put Justine with Hunk. Obviously, Yellow's pilot is the "It" guy. Forget Keith, Lance, and Sven; Hunk's the real man in the group!_

_**Title Song: "Home" by Daughtry**_

* * *

The Explorer was back in New York.

It had been less than a week since Kelly and Taye had returned from Dradin, and most of the Vehicle Team was eager to celebrate their nuptials. Besides that, they were more than ready to be home. They'd missed their spouses, their loved ones, and their friends.

Once again, Jeff had to agree with the commander's assessment: this crew, the way it was, wouldn't be together for much longer. He was surprised the team had come this far already. Lisa was positively morose without Aidan, and the commander seemed distracted away from his wife. Jeff himself missed his own wife something fierce, and this time around had been even worse due to Morgan's drama. He hated the fact that his best friend from the time he was sixteen years old had gone through a miscarriage without him. He wasn't there for her when it happened. He should have been there, and he wasn't.

Usually, Commander Hawkins descended down the gangplank first, but this time, Jeff raced ahead of him. The commander seemed to understand; his own eyes searched the waiting crowd. They were looking for the same two people.

_"MORGANZA!" _he screeched, looking around for her frantically. "I'm here!"

"Oh, Amigo. I'm so glad you're back." Morgan made her way to him, throwing her arms around his neck, and began to sob into his shoulder. She was so tired of crying, but seeing Jeff there brought the pain fresh to the forefront.

As the Voltron captain embraced his friend, trying to absorb the pain and take it away from her, the commander clapped the woman's husband on the shoulder. "Dave. My brother."

"My brother." David's voice trembled slightly. "It's good to see you, Jon. Thank you for the Courvoisier. I'm sorry to report that there's not much left to it."

"I didn't think there would be."

David exhaled. "Have you seen your wife yet?"

Jon shook his head. "No. You needed me, so I found you first."

"Thank you. That means a lot."

"We'll go somewhere tonight, Dave. I just have to tell the wife first."

At those words, the commander felt a smack against his shoulder. "Oh, so I'm reduced to _the wife _now?" Lenora teased, wrapping her arms tightly around her husband's neck. "Gods, I've missed you, Jon."

"I've missed you too, _mon ange_." His arms came around her waist, and he breathed in the scent of her perfume with her freshly-shampooed hair. He'd missed her terribly, more than he would ever let on. If he told her that he was going insane without her, she would try to convince him to retire. They'd had _that _conversation a few times too many. "You smell incredible."

"I bought some new perfume at Agent Provocateur. To go along with the new lingerie, of course."

"You are an evil woman, Mrs. Hawkins."

She grinned._ "Exactly."_

Across the gangplank, Aidan's eyebrows furrowed as Lisa completely ignored him and headed with Ginger and Cinda over to Kelly. "Kelly! Congratulations!" she shrieked, sweeping her up in an embrace. Ginger followed with an equally enthusiastic hug of her own, and Cinda began to cry.

"Oh, Cindy, don't cry," Kelly soothed her old roommate gently. "I know. I'm sorry you weren't there. Believe me, _I _didn't even know I was getting married."

"I hope you know that I _wanted _to be there. That I wouldn't have missed it for anything. That I even would have put on any cheesy bridesmaid dress you asked me to wear."

With a grin, Kelly clasped her friend even closer to her. "Thanks, Cin. I love you." She paused, looking back at Ginger and Lisa. "Tell you what: if Taye and I ever decide to renew our vows, I'll call you and let you pick out any dress you want."

Cinda wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Deal."

After exchanging a knowing glance with Cliff, Aidan purposefully made his way over to the girls and wrapped his arms around Lisa from behind. She seemed to freeze in his embrace. "Hey, Sweetheart," he greeted her, kissing the side of her face. "It's good to see you. I've missed you." He looked up at Cinda and Ginger. "Girls, it's good to see you too."

"Hey, Boyfriend." Ginger stood on her tiptoes and planted a small kiss on his cheek. "It's good to see you! How have you been?"

"Broke," Aidan answered quickly. "I made a big purchase recently." He looked down at Lisa. "I'd like for you to check it out tomorrow, if that works for you."

"Sure," Lisa responded. A big purchase? _Hopefully something with a diamond in it. _She visibly relaxed, then turned to embrace her boyfriend. "I've missed you, Aidan."

"I missed you too, Sweetheart."

"Come on. Let's go home."

"Great." Waving to his Mate as they started their way back to the apartment, he gripped his girlfriend's hand. He'd known her too long, and they'd been dating too long, for him to not know what was going through her head. "Lisa," he told her privately, "it's not a diamond."

"It's _not_?" She looked crestfallen. Heartbroken.

"No. This thing I bought is so big, I can't afford a diamond."

Her heart shattered into a hundred million shards. "A _thing_? What is _thing_?"

"Trust me on this, Lis."

Unsurely, she gripped his hand, as the knowledge that she was going to break up with him sat heavily in her stomach.

* * *

The apartment looked smaller than he remembered it. Not that he'd spent a whole lot of time there.

They didn't have crazy amounts of money or a big space to live, but it was fine for the two of them. They'd already decided - well, more like they'd been forced, on account of her vision - that they weren't going to have children together. So they could conceivably stay in this small space for the rest of their lives.

She'd done some decorating in his absence, trying to make the apartment look and feel like home. They couldn't spend much money - they just didn't have it. She was contemplating going back to her job as a systems analyst for the Garrison just to make sure the rent was paid.

"It looks good, Chris," he finally conceded, settling himself onto the tan sofa in the living room. "I like this couch. It's comfortable."

"Thanks. I'm glad you like it." Christiane nuzzled against Jeff on the couch, and he wrapped his arm around her. It was nice to be back with her. "And I'm glad you're home."

"Me, too."

They sat on the couch in silence, happily nestled against each other. They were happy to just be together, to have two weeks to themselves in front of them. Two weeks' worth of nights where they could lie in bed together, wrapped around each other.

Jeff sighed contentedly, then grazed his lips over his wife's temple. "I missed you so much, Chris. I don't think you realize how happy I am to be home."

She smiled, her grin buried against his shoulder. "I love you, Jeff. And I've missed you, too."

He cleared his throat. "You know, the commander was saying something about how the current make-up of the Voltron Force and the Explorer crew is only temporary. I mean, if you think about it, we're all slowly starting to get paired off. There are other things in life that are more important than touring the galaxy." He closed his eyes. "Chris, I'm tired of being away from you. We haven't been married very long, and I hate the fact that we're separated for so much of the time. I'm thinking that I might just jump ship. Figuratively speaking, of course."

She looked up at him, her turquoise seer's eyes shining. "I knew you were going to say that, Jeff. I knew it. I _felt_ it." She bit her lower lip. "Also, I had a vision about it."

The words struck a nerve. Whenever Christiane had a vision, it wasn't something to dismiss. He'd learned that lesson the hard way over the course of their relationship. "What was it about?"

"It was the two of us on the bridge of a ship. We were older. Late forties, maybe." Her eyebrows furrowed. "It felt like the Explorer, but it wasn't the Explorer. Maybe it was a similar stellar ship?"

"Don't know. You're the seer here, Chris." He coughed. "Any other visions?"

She shook her head. "Nothing new on that front. Just the same ones I've been having for a while. You know, the wedding bells and the babies and the flashes of purple and the empty casket lying in state..."

"So the casket's still empty, huh?"

"Yeah." She closed her eyes against his shoulder. That flashed image was the most disturbing out of her visions - it meant that someone would willingly walk into his or her own death. When she first saw it, she begged Jeff not to let it be him. She loved him too much and they'd been through too much. But her visions tended to come true, and she knew that someone she cared about would give up his life for the greater good.

It was a painful thought.

Jeff broke her out of her thoughts with a savage kiss. "Now, Mrs. Aki," he told her, grinning, "I do believe it's been eight weeks since the last time I saw you. Which means that it's been eight weeks since the last time we, um..."

"Since we closed the deal, Jeff?" she smirked.

"Exactly." With those words, he stood up and pulled Christiane off the couch. He then dragged her back to their bedroom, where he was determined to hide out with her for the rest of the night. If they only had two weeks together, then they would make the most of it.

* * *

Lisa was absolutely miserable. A full night's sleep had done nothing to change her state of mind.

As if it hadn't been bad enough that she had been hearing about Kelly's marriage for the past couple of weeks, Aidan wanted her to see the _thing_ he'd just bought. The _thing _that cost him so much money that he couldn't afford a diamond for her. The _thing _that she was probably going to break up with him over.

She loved Aidan, she really did. In all honesty, if circumstances were different, she might not mind if he never proposed to her. But it was her pride that made her want the ring and the dress, the flowers and the cake. It was her ego that needed to be stroked. She couldn't help it. She needed to feel like Aidan Dalloway wanted to announce to the world that she was off-limits, that she was his, and they only way to really do that would be to ask her to marry him and slip a ring onto her finger. Which were the two things he was never going to do.

She was torn. She didn't want to leave Aidan, but she would if she had to. But what would that leave her with? She was thirty-three years old with one failed long-term relationship under her belt already. She was no closer to getting married and having a family than she was when she graduated from the Space Academy twelve years ago.

Her love life was terrible. _Why _did she always pick the wrong guy? That seemed to be the eternal question.

"Now Lis, this is very important," Aidan told her seriously as they stepped into the immaculate lobby of a high-end building off Park Avenue. "I need to know your honest opinion. This is the biggest purchase I've ever made in my entire life."

She swallowed. "Okay. I'll be honest."

"Promise?" The elevator doors opened, and they stepped in.

She nodded. "Promise."

It was not a big building, only seven floors, and Lisa was amazed as they rode the elevator to the top. "I had the closing when you were on the Explorer," he explained as they walked down the hallway. He fumbled with keys outside one door, and looked over at her nervously. "Like I said, Lis, give me your honest opinion. But keep an open mind."

She nodded, and followed him as he stepped into the apartment.

Her first impression of the place was _war zone. _Then, as she began to form thoughts more coherently, her next impression was _construction nightmare_. The space was merely the bones of an apartment; it was nothing but studs and beams and sawdust everywhere.

She gasped in horror.

"Hey, it's not as bad as it looks." The blueprint, which Aidan pointed out, was laid out on the floor. "See, check this out. It'll have three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen. Here, let's walk through the floorplan, and I can show you where everything's gonna go."

Lisa could hardly hold back her tears as he showed her where the two guest rooms, as well as where the master bedroom, would be. This was it. _This is all I get,_ she thought sullenly. Aidan could see them living together, but he couldn't see them getting married. Aidan might have kids with her, but he wouldn't marry her. Well, that might be okay for some people, Ginger included, but not for her. She wanted to be married before she had children, and she was running out of time.

He had shown her where the first two bedrooms were supposed to go, and was just about to lead her to the framework that made up the master bedroom when she finally let go of her restraint and began to cry.

"Hey, hey," he said softly, cupping her face in his hands. He wiped away the tears with his thumbs, and his sapphire eyes burned into her dark ones. "Don't cry, Lis. I know you're excited and anxious for it to get finished so we can move in. I am, too."

_Is he really that dense? _"No, Aidan, that's not it," she sniffled, wiggling out of his grasp. "I have to go."

"Go where?"

"I don't know. I can't stay with you, Aidan. I can't." She began to wail, her entire body shaking with sobs. "I love you so much, Aidan, but you don't want to marry me, you only want us to live together. I want to marry you and I want to have kids with you and you don't want either of those things, so I can't stay with you!"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Aidan raised a curious - and almost amused - blond eyebrow. "Lisa," he exhaled patiently, "will you please pull yourself together and check out the framework for the master bedroom?"

Humiliating. She was humiliated. She'd just laid her heart out there on the line, and he was asking her to check out the master bedroom for him like she hadn't said anything at all. Indignantly, she wiped her tears away and walked into the blocked-out space.

She could see where he'd marked everything on the wall in black paint. From the walk-in closet doors to the master bath entrance, everything about the room was meticulously planned out. Aidan had even put a white heart-shaped pillow up against the wall to demarcate where the head of the bed would go.

This was bad. She loved him so much, and he had planned out a home for the two of them. He obviously loved her. So why wouldn't he marry her?

"Lis. Stop thinking and pick up the pillow."

Angrily, she bent over to pick it up. She wanted to chuck it at his head, but then decided that no, it was too soft. She squeezed it between her hands, vibrating within an overwhelming sea of emotions, when she glanced down and felt her jaw fall open.

There was a ring tied to the heart-shaped pillow with a white ribbon.

Swallowing, Lisa untied to ribbon and clutched the ring, letting the pillow fall to the floor. It was a massive oval-shaped aquamarine, set in white gold and completely surrounded by small pavé-set round diamonds. Unsurely, she looked up and over at Aidan.

"Lisa, I said that because I bought this apartment, I couldn't afford to buy you a _diamond_." He grinned. "So I bought you an _aquamarine _instead. You know, like the sea. Because you're on the Sea Team."

"You mean - you mean this is my engagement ring?"

"Yup."

"You want me to marry you?"

"Only if you'll have me."

"Oh my God. Aidan, you have to ask me." She began to cry again. Tears of relief fell over her cheeks. "Please ask me."

Laughing gently, he wiped the tears off her face. His lips against her ear, he whispered, "Lisa Kaga, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

She sobbed. "Oh my God, _yes_!" She collapsed into his embrace, lying her head against his shoulder. It felt so good to lay against him, knowing that he finally, _finally _wanted to marry her. "Yes, yes, _yes_!"

Somehow, she never dropped the ring.

His hands coming over hers, he took the ring from her and slid it onto the appropriate finger. Then, kissing her newly-ringed hand, he teased, "So, do you still wanna leave?"

"No." She shook her head vigorously. "We're home, Aidan. We're home."


	7. I Was Gonna Marry You

_Author's Note__: See, I told you guys that Aidan's always been my favorite. I love him! And since I haven't said it in a while, I should mention that the only things I own are the characters and planets I've created._

_Oh, and __**Wade Wells**__, I mention your girl in here. :)_

_To FroofyB - Oh, Lance. You'll see what he's been up to in the romance department in this chapter._

_To bknbu - I wanted the last chapter to have a happy, romantic, Valentine's-feel to it without being overly V-Day. I'm glad you approved - and I don't care HOW much Lisa fought me, I wasn't letting her break up with Aidan!_

_To Sally On - I told you! I TOLD you not to write off my boy Aidan! (I feel like a proud mama right about now.)_

_To MamaBirdCat - I'm glad you enjoyed it! I figured I could only get away with something that sappy and romantic on Valentine's Day. ;)_

_To Emie Mac - Aidan had everybody except me worried! I was more worried by Lisa. And keep your sharp eyes open for clues down the road in changes to VV's roster, it'll happen before we all know it._

_**Title Song: "I Was Gonna Marry You" by Tristan Prettyman**_

* * *

Lotor remained in solitary confinement in his chambers. He chose for it to be that way; he couldn't deal with that slow-to-act Wade or that incompetent Maahox. They didn't understand him. They couldn't. Everything was too complicated.

The new Drule king had spent too many years living in the shadow of his father, the so-called "Great King" and leader of Planet Doom. There were so many Drule kingdoms in the galaxy, but only a few that were outright war-minded; they were the Ten Kingdoms of the Drule Supremacy. Zarkon Daibazaal - his father - had been the ruler of the Ninth Kingdom, Korrinoth. Lotor had sat through many supreme council meetings with his father, had listened to ongoing discussions of how to build up the Drule Empire and overthrow the universe...how the right marriage could increase two planets' power exponentially.

Zarkon had always wanted his son to marry Merla, the duchess of the Seventh Kingdom. If Lotor had his way - and he did, now that his father was dead - that would never happen. Lotor had never desired to marry Merla. He could win his own glory and make his own name; he didn't need to do it through marriage. If anything, he regarded marriage as something sacred, something that should be done for love and desire and passion alone. Forget about power and politics; a loveless marriage was worthless.

Which was why Lotor had always had designs on Allura. _Always_.

He didn't know why the golden-haired, emerald-eyed princess made him want to climb mountains or conquer planets. She just _did_. With her, he imagined a reign more powerful than any the universe had seen before. He imagined beautiful children, hordes of them. He imagined grandeur and passion and a bed-chamber designed specifically for lovemaking. He imagined capturing the Arusian princess in the throes of passion, her mouth and her body eagerly receiving him.

Because he could imagine it, he was determined to accomplish it.

He would not let Keith Kogane have his Allura. He was nothing; he was a mere pilot. He was not worthy of a princess, and he didn't know how to be part of a royal family. Keith did not have it in his blood to rule a kingdom.

But Lotor did. And if he had his way, he and Allura would rule not only two kingdoms, but an entire universe together.

* * *

The Land Team's "gentle giant" knew.

It was hard to _not _find out; secrets just couldn't be kept on the Explorer. The entire ship could somehow find out everybody's business. So, unsurprisingly, he'd found out about Kelly's marriage.

He'd blown it with Kelly. It was his own fault - once Wade disbanded the Vehicle Team, he'd had nowhere else to go and nothing to do. He felt that his life no longer had any purpose. He and Kelly had been together for ages, they'd been living together - _she _should have been his reason to get up in the morning, but he had been too busy wallowing in his misery to acknowledge her. And while she tried to carry on for the both of them, he eventually lost himself in pint after pint of dark ale at McSorley's Old Ale House...and, later, he lost himself in the female bartender.

She caught them. Kelly walked in on him in a compromising position with the bartender, and that was the end of their relationship. No yelling, no screaming, no fighting. Not a single word. When she saw what was happening, she calmly turned around and left the apartment in utter silence. She never came back home, she didn't return his phone calls, she avoided him in public. She never fully acknowledged that their relationship was over, even though it so obviously was.

All on account of his stupidity.

Well, now that the Explorer had docked and he'd gotten a decent night's sleep, he was finally able to do something he'd meant to do for a long while: he was going to get the closure he needed so he could move on. He dressed in his Land Team uniform as insurance to get past the front desk, and then gained access to the Space Marshal's office.

Nervously, he knocked.

"Come in," he heard a female voice call out. He opened the door and hesitantly stepped in.

He was met with two pairs of eyes as he closed the door behind him: one hazel, one chocolate-brown. He cleared his throat in greeting. "Space Marshal. First Officer."

"Modoch Chukker. A pleasure, as always." The Space Marshal acknowledged his presence, then calmly turned to her First Officer. "Would you like some privacy?"

The First Officer exhaled uncomfortably. "Yes, please, if you wouldn't mind."

The Space Marshal nodded, then stood from her seat and saluted Modoch on the way out of her office. As she closed the door behind her, the First Officer sat behind the desk in the vacated seat, and motioned for the Land Team member to have a seat across the desk from her.

Modoch sat. Staring straight into her eyes - it was the first time he'd looked her in the eye since that night with the bartender - he offered, "Congratulations, Kelly. I heard about your marriage, and I wanted to tell you how happy I am for you."

She twisted her knotted rose-gold ring on her finger. "Thanks, Mo," she said carefully after a moment of silence. "That's very kind of you."

"Kelly, I didn't just come here to congratulate you."

"I didn't think you did."

"I wanted to tell you that I am so, _so _sorry for hurting you. I never should have done what I did to you. I should have been an adult instead of acting like a stupid teenager. I shouldn't have wallowed in my misery the way I did, and I definitely shouldn't have cheated on you. You were the perfect girlfriend, and I'll never meet another girl like you. Never."

This was too little, _way _too late. Kelly regarded the man she used to love. She still felt something for him, something similar to love but not quite. Pity. She didn't hate Modoch. She just felt bad for him.

Nervously, he broke the silence. "I was gonna marry you, Kelly."

She tensed up at those words. "Modoch, I thought I was gonna marry you, too. I built my life around you. I planned for us to have an entire future together. But you messed up, big-time, and now you will _not _make me feel bad about choosing Taye over you. I won't let you." She stood up and inclined her head towards the door, her eyes flashing.

"No, don't be angry." He tried to place his hand over hers, but she recoiled. "Kelly, listen. I just want to move on. I can't have you back, so I need to find a way to get over you. So I can find a way to move forward with my life."

She stared at him incredulously. _Enraged. _"Funny, you didn't seem to think like that when I caught you closing the deal with the bartender from McSorley's. _In our bed."_ She shook her head. "Get out, Modoch. Just get out. I can't stand the sight of you."

His mouth dropped open.

"Listen, it's bad enough that my two best friends, Cinda and Cliff, are on the Land Team with you and I've gotta hear about you from time to time. And it's even worse that you're still friends with your old classmate David Rackens, which increases my chances of running into you. But this is too much." She balled her hands into fists. "You need to leave, Chukker. And you need to leave me alone."

"But -"

_"Get. Out." _She pronounced the words coldly and distinctly. There was no compromising with the First Officer on the subject; she was determined to never have to speak to the man who'd shattered her heart ever again. "I can't think of a way to make myself any clearer. Get out of this office. _Now."_

Modoch swallowed, knowing he'd been beaten. All he wanted was a chance to move on from the woman he'd hurt - the woman he once thought he was going to marry - and he knew he would never have it. Kelly Ayn Asimov Benton would never truly forgive him for cheating on her, and he had no one to blame but himself.

"As you wish." He saluted formally, then stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him. Kelly sat back down in the chair and buried her face in her hands. She thought that finally telling her cheating ex-boyfriend off would make her feel better, but instead, it made her feel worse about herself.

* * *

When the stars came out on Arus, Lance felt peace wash over him. He always enjoyed being around people, true, but he enjoyed his solitude just as much. He craved it, even. No one really knew what it was like to be Lance McClain. Not even the Viking knew what really went on in his old roommate's head.

The wedding planning was sucking the life and the energy out of him, but the Red Lion pilot knew that the end result would bring about much more than the marriage of one of his oldest friends to the beautiful princess. It would bring Ginger, who meant more to him than even Voltron and Red ever could.

All he could get his hands on was Arusian scotch instead of Johnny Walker, but at least he had cigarettes. On the balcony, Lance lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply, enjoying the solitude. He so rarely had a moment to himself, and even less a moment to enjoy his alone time with scotch and tobacco. Gazing at the stars overhead, he thought briefly of Sven and Morgan before setting his glass and his cigarette down and reaching for the satchel around his waist.

Queen Anadora of Planet Brann would be attending the wedding instead of her much-younger brother, Prince Luthcar. Lance was fond of the red-skinned queen; after all, she was the person who'd given him the beautiful garnet-and-diamond ring he'd had in his possession for roughly a year. He couldn't wait to see woman again. He wanted to hug her, kiss her, drink with her, and dance with her.

Most importantly, he wanted to introduce her to Ginger.

When Anadora gave him that ring, she specifically instructed him to give it to a woman who was worthy of it. He knew immediately that Ginger was the only woman who was worthy, but he hadn't seen her in better than ten years. Then, when the Explorer landed on Arus and she came back into his life, he knew his feelings for her from his Academy years hadn't changed. He knew he still loved her, that he would always love her, and it was as simple as that.

He pulled the ring out of his satchel and held it, twinkling in the moonlight, between his fingers. When Ginger came back to Arus for the wedding, Lance was going to present her with it. It wasn't meant as an engagement ring, as neither one of them believed in the institution of marriage. It was more of a symbol and a promise - he was hers forever. They belonged together, and he wanted her to know that he was serious about spending his life with her.

He took a sip of his scotch. _Yeah, like that'll ever happen. As long as I'm on Arus and she's on the Explorer, we'll never really be together._ Cynical as always. But somehow, he just knew that the two of them would end up together one way or another. He didn't know how he knew it. He just knew that he did.

* * *

The night was beginning to wind down. He'd already put Erik to bed; he and Romelle took turns at bedtime, reading and singing and rocking the boy until he grew drowsy and heavy-lidded. Even with the Haggarium taking over his system, it could not destroy the love Sven had for his child. That bond remained pure and untainted, unaffected by the poison running through his veins.

As he readied himself for bed, he thought about his life from a long time ago, even before the Academy. He hated to think about those days, they were so bleak and depressing, but it was as though he'd come a full circle now and was right back there.

When Sven was fifteen, he'd inadvertently met an eighteen-year-old-girl, Katrine, who successfully hid her addiction to prescription pain meds...until she didn't. He got hooked on them, too. He became a drug addict as well, using the pills in all sorts of different manners until the day his grandmother found out. When that happened, she'd shipped him off to the Space Academy, as far away from Norway - and Kat - as possible.

It had been a struggle to get clean, but he'd done it.

Of course, he'd had lots of help back then. He had Lance, he had an entire floor full of friends. He had the higher-ups at the Garrison who wanted him to succeed, and he had navigation. He had Lenora.

With a sigh, he opened his drawer. He kept the little robin's-egg-blue box in there, with his chain and her wedding band carefully nestled against the cotton. He didn't open it; it was enough to know that the symbolic jewelry was there. The pieces would bring him strength to endure regardless; to power through the Haggarium infection. It was no different now than it was then.

He loved Romelle. He did. He just wished he could conjure up the same love for her as he had for the woman he didn't marry.


	8. I Need Your Love

_Author's Note__: If you've been a reader of mine for any length of time, you know that I LOVE love and I LOVE weddings. Just because Kelly and Taye are already hitched, why shouldn't they have a party to celebrate? All items are available on the ModCloth website unless otherwise noted. (Sorry, __**Emie Mac**__.)_

_On Ginger: __Ful-frill Your Destiny Dress_

_On Cinda: __Flow Motion Dress_

_On Lenora: __Sleek It Out Dress_

_On Morgan: __Outline a Strategy Dress_

_On Christiane: __Midnight Sun Dress_

_On Lisa: __Deep Sea Siren Dress, Aquamarine and Diamond Ring (Blue Nile website)_

_On Kelly: __Half Past Swoon Dress, Greta Metallic Sandals in Brocade Gold (J. Crew website), Love Knot Ring in 14k Rose Gold (Ariel Gordon website)_

_Also, I spent a really good chunk of time watching and re-watching the first seven or so minutes of the DotU episode "There Will Be a Royal Wedding." I hope I did the scene justice and didn't plagiarize too much. (You can find the entire episode on the WEP channel on YouTube.) I didn't change a whole lot of the wording because I like how desperate their dialogue is. To me, that's exactly what the S/R relationship is. Why mess with success?_

_To Sally On - Now that we've gotten all of the heartbreak out of the way, we can go to a wedding reception! WHOOHOO!_

_To bknbu - I kinda dislike how WEP made Lotor a classic bumbling idiot when Prince Sincline in GoLion was a twisted psychopath and strategist. I like to use that version of him more than the more "lovable" version._

_To MamaBirdCat - Don't try telling Lotor that Allura belongs with Keith! I don't think that knowledge will sit too well..._

_To Wade Wells - I wasn't going to go any further with Merla, but then a scene popped in my head. Oops. Be expecting to see your girl in action in the coming chapters. (Oh, and if you liked my background on Sven, wait 'til you see "Locked Out of Heaven.")_

_**Title Song: "I Need Your Love" by Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding**_

* * *

"_Don't make a sound."_

_Romelle looked up from the ground as she bled into the dirt. Was she still alive, or was she in hell? The last thing she remembered was Lotor cursing her out for not agreeing to become his bride, then ordering his men to fire at her, and then the ground breaking open into the Pit of Skulls underneath her feet._

_She had to be dead. But if she was, then what was that nagging little voice?_

_She lifted her head up and looked around. Then she saw...__something__...in the darkness, like a flickering light in the blackness. Then, suddenly, he was in front of her, moving like the shadows. He was stiff, with long black hair, an unkempt beard, and bitterness in his slate-blue eyes. He lifted a candle in front of her._

"_I __said__, don't make a sound. They'll follow you."_

_She had to be in hell. "Who will?_

_He looked upwards grimly, watching as skulls began to rain down from the sky. They'd been spotted. "Them. Let's go!" He blew out the candle and, throwing it aside, grabbed her wrist. Before she could blink, he was dragging her away to the safety of the deepest caverns._

_Vaguely, in the distance, she could hear one of the soldiers shout, "Sir, we __can't__ recover the body - the princess is still alive!"_

"_WHAT?" Lotor cried out in disbelief. "Well then, grab her, you idiots! Don't let her get away!"_

_No. She couldn't go back there. She couldn't go back to Lotor's chambers. She couldn't allow herself to be touched by him, his body savagely using hers the way only a monster would. So she ran. She ran, terrified, gripping onto this man as though her life depended on it._

_Which, right now, it did._

"_Over here!" he hissed, pushing her behind rock. She fell forward into a cavernous space, landing sharply on her knees. Aghast and in pain, she watched as he pulled the entrance closed, then waited with held breath for Lotor's soldiers to pass them by._

"_We're safe," he exhaled finally. _

_Slowly, unbelievably, she nodded. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me." She rubbed her pained knees._

_He shook his head. "Now go. Go away. Get out of my sight."_

_Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about? Are you crazy?"_

_He looked at her, his eyes piercing through her soul. "Yes. Yes, I am crazy. Is that what you want to hear?" His hand went to the hollow of his throat and appeared to be rubbing something underneath his shirt. "They call me crazy because I'm helping the Voltron Force to overthrow Zarkon and Lotor. I am the underground leader of the resistance!"_

"_You're helping the Voltron Force to overthrow Zarkon and Lotor..." Her voice trailed off as she realized the full extent of his words, and she gasped. "You're __him__, aren't you? You're Sven Holgersson, the former pilot of the Blue Lion."_

_Immediately, his eyes filled with tears. His hand, still at the hollow of his throat, formed a fist "What are you saying? You think you know me, woman, but you know nothing. __Nothing__! There __is__ no more Sven!"_

_It was at that moment that she knew for sure who she was dealing with. "I know you now. Without a doubt. You __are__ Sven Holgersson of the Voltron Force."_

"_No! No!" he cried out, seating himself down on a rock. "The Sven you speak of...he is gone. He was nothing but a failure." A tear spilled down his cheek. "A __failure__!"_

_She swallowed. "That's not true. You were far from a failure." Staring him straight in the eye, she continued, "Had it not been for Haggar, her miserable cat and her even worse robeast, you would still be piloting the Blue Lion."_

_Tears continued to drip down his face. "You don't know what it was like for me," he choked out. "I couldn't move. I could hardly breathe, I was in so much pain. I know I coded several times before I fell into a coma. It lasted for over a month, they told me."_

"_But Sven, it wasn't your fault," she told him gently. "None of it was your fault. And if it hadn't been for your help, Planet Arus might have fallen."_

_He refused to be consoled. "That wasn't the worst of it." He wiped the tears off his face. "While I was recovering in the hospital, Zarkon's fleet attacked. Ebb was a small, peaceful planet - they couldn't defend themselves, and I was in no shape to fight the Doom forces off. I was taken with the others to be a slave. Those who were too sick or too old to work, they were executed outright." He closed his eyes. "I failed them. I failed them all - the Voltron Force, The Arusians, the Ebbians, the slaves on Doom, __min elskede__..." He choked on the words, and his voice trailed off._

_As Romelle looked at him, full of inner torment, she realized that they both needed each other. If either of them wanted to survive and escape from Planet Doom, they had to trust each other. But she wasn't sure how much faith she could place in this broken excuse for a man._

* * *

The trip to Planet Pileria was a disaster.

The planet's representative, Anderson Dare, was not welcoming of her at all. It made Justine wonder if the plans he'd made with the Garrison had been nothing more than an elaborate scheme to get the Space Marshal on their soil. Had the Pilerians been plotting an assassination? Would the Space Marshal have been murdered if she had gone in person, instead of sending her lieutenant?

As she shifted on the mattress in the hotel room, slipping out of the high-heeled boots she wore with her Garrison uniform, she wondered if she really blamed them. After all, it was the Garrison who had assassinated Anderson's father, Arthur, so many years ago. She'd heard the story so many times since graduation that it made her head hurt.

Years ago, when Space Marshal Charles Hingham retired, he promoted two men: Graham to fill his position, and his right-arm man Evers to fill the position of General that Graham had vacated. Right underneath the new Space Marshal's nose, Evers hired a team of Academy alums to pull off a mass assassination; five members of an affiliation known only as Two Suns, located on both Planets Pileria and Mozare, were wiped out. Arthur included.

She supposed she couldn't blame Dare for holding a grudge.

_This mission is a complete failure. I think I'm gonna abort and go home tomorrow. It's not worth it if the Pilerians never had any intention to work with us or sell us the land in the first place._

As she pondered over why the lousy planet was even in the Alliance in the first place - _Oh, that's right, Voltron_ - she realized that she desperately missed Byron. Despite the fact that he could be an insensitive jerk over the disparity in their missions, she was used to having him around. She liked him being there with her.

She decided to call him.

It was a hassle to make an interplanetary phone call, not to mention an outrageous expense, but she felt it was worth it. Usually, when everything went wrong, he had the words to make things right. Besides, she wanted someone to know she'd be returning to Earth soon. She didn't want to tell the Space Marshal just yet; she didn't want to look so hugely incompetent during her first mission.

_Hmm. I wonder if I'll get fired or demoted for blowing this mission._

Impatiently, Justine tapped through the channels on her personal communicator to make the call to her boyfriend. Once she finally got the coordinates and the phone number correctly aligned, she waited absent-mindedly for him to pick up.

He didn't. She went straight to message instead. "Hey, it's Byron, do yer thing."

That was weird. Byron _never _let his phone just go straight to message. He was talkative and energetic, never wanting to be left out of any gossip. He liked to be in the thick of things. He was like a girl that way, Justine always liked to tease him. How was he not picking up her phone call? What was so important that he allowed a call to go straight to message?

_Hmm. Maybe the satellites aren't aligned correctly. It's a huge pain in the rear, trying to make these interplanetary calls._

Wearily, she readied herself for bed. She showered and brushed her teeth, then slicked her damp blond hair into a haphazard braid. She was going to leave first thing in the morning, and she was going to sleep in her uniform, just in case she had to bolt out the door at a moment's notice.

She felt a knot in the pit of her stomach as she realized that she had to sleep with the proverbial "one eye open." But then again, that knot could have very well have been from the way she knew - she just _knew _- that Byron purposely hadn't taken her call.

* * *

For an event like this one, they never felt the need to shower their loved ones with domestic gifts that might go unappreciated. They were, at their cores, all Space Explorers, after all. Better to stock the liquor cabinet instead.

Which was why Hutch had no problem ribbing his old friend Taye about developing a "guaranteed addiction problem."

"Wow, Taye, it's a good thing I got you a gift certificate to Sullivan's for buffalo wings instead of bringing you liquor," he remarked as Kelly accepted a bottle of - no surprise - Bombay Sapphire from Ginger, who looked like a runway model in her crimson-and-tan dress with its fluttery sleeves. "I think you've got enough booze here to develop a drinking problem."

"Thanks for the faith in me, Hutch," Taye replied, clapping his old friend on the back and rubbing his free hand over his cleanly-shaven head. He was so happy, he didn't even feel the need to rib Hutch back the way he normally did. Looking over at his wife, who was breathtaking in a floor-length dusty rose-colored gown, he felt an overwhelming wave of awe and gratitude.

Cliff took the bride into his arms for an embrace. "Ah, my girl," he told her lovingly, kissing both sides of her face, "I am so happy for you. Congratulations to you and Taye."

"Thanks, Cliffie," she replied. She looped one arm over his shoulder, and gathered Cinda - looking beautiful in a short, ruffled jade-green shift dress - in the other. "I'm so glad you're both here. Modoch came to visit me the day after the Explorer landed, and I'm still rattled by it."

She wanted to tell them the story, but she was pulled away for congratulations by Morgan and David. "Oh, Hon, _congratulations_!" the navigator shrieked, drawing the bride in for a hug. Clad in a slim-fitting blue-and-black cap-sleeved confection, she looked happy. She looked like she might finally be moving past her miscarriage.

Kelly sighed with relief as she hugged back. "Thanks, Babe. You look great."

"I should say the same thing to _you_," David pointed out as he weaseled past his wife to hug the First Officer. "Seven hells, Kelly, you look absolutely stunning."

"Stop hitting on her, Rackens. She's a married woman," Taye joked to his teammate as he came up behind them. "Man, don't even ask me how I got her to say yes. I must've really poured on the charm."

"Yeah, that good old Benton charm," Christiane teased, planting a congratulatory kiss on her co-pilot's cheek. "No woman can resist it."

"Hey! _My _woman had better resist it," Jeff countered playfully, placing a hand on his wife's bare shoulder. Her short navy-blue dress with its frilly hem and one-shouldered neckline reminded him of the dress Morgan wore on Senior Night. "But seriously, though, congratulations, Benton. And Kelly! Congrats, girl!"

The Air Team captain swooped his old friend in for a hug.

Not wanting to feel left out, Crik joined the growing circle and stood by the groom. He and Taye had been roommates at the Academy, and he felt a little possessive. He found it amusing that if Kelly and her new husband had actually had a real wedding instead of a quick ceremony on Dradin, then he would have been the best man and Cinda, the maid of honor.

From the moment they met on the Explorer, Crik had had a little crush on Cinda. How could he not? They were both from Planet Mira - affectionately referred to and better known as _Planet Hydra_ - and they were the only two on board the ship who shared that bond.

Yet he hadn't realized that she'd formed a stronger bond with another man before he'd even laid eyes on her. He wondered, _What does Hunk have that I don't?_

The answer was, obviously, Cinda's heart.

Crik was shaken out of his thoughts by Taye's voice. "Hey, has anybody seen Dalloway yet? You'd think that he of all people would be here by now!" Considering the fact that Aidan was the groom's captain and a longtime friend of the bride, it was surprising that he was still a no-show.

Morgan shook her head. "Nope. Fearless Leader and Lisa haven't shown up." She paused. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen or heard a peep from either one of them since the Explorer landed."

The terrace doors slid open, and Lenora, resplendent in a sleek black sheath dress with cap sleeves and a square neckline, emerged, with her husband following suit. They each carried two bottles of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin.

"Well," Jon announced, holding up the bottles, "I thought it was only fitting to toast the bride and groom with rosé champagne. Or, as my wife might call it, _pink bubbly_." He shot Lenora a mischievous glance.

"Hey! It _is _pink bubbly!" she retorted, popping open the first of four bottles. "Stop arguing with me and help me toast the happy couple!"

There was a long table situated by the railing, topped with a beautiful spread of hors d'oeuvres from Per Se and round champagne coupe glasses. As the family of friends began to help themselves to the glasses, they were treated to an equally beautiful view of Central Park at sunset. One glass at a time, Lenora poured the champagne until everyone had a drink.

"Hey, don't forget us!" the last voice cried out.

Cheers broke out as Aidan joined them on the terrace, gripping Lisa's hand and grinning. The Sea Team member looked radiant in a deep teal-blue dress made up of wavy skirt pleats, the asymmetric hemline falling longer in the back. They joined the group, allowing Lenora to pour them champagne as well.

"That's my Mate. Always has to make an entrance," Cliff announced with a laugh.

"Hey, better late than never," Aidan shot back mildly.

Crik cleared his throat. "A toast," he offered in his Miran accent. "I've been waiting to make this speech since Taye and I were paired up as roommates during our first year at the Space Academy."

"Good Lord, Crik, let's not make this too long," Jeff teased him, placing an arm over his wife's shoulder. He was thoroughly enjoying the amount of her bare skin that was on display.

"Quiet over there," Crik shot out teasingly. "The groom and I have been through a lot together - I'm sure Hutch and Marvin would tell you about the cherry bomb incident if they hadn't signed a waiver not to."

"Yeah, thanks a lot for that, Benton!" Marvin grumbled jokingly.

Taye shrugged. "Hey man, I was a stupid sixteen-year-old. Let's just chalk it up to that, shall we?"

Crik held up his glass, and everyone followed suit. "So I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say congratulations to my friend Taye. I'm sorry I wasn't there to see you marry your wife in person, but I wish you both many years of joy and happiness. To Taye and Kelly. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" The sound of glasses clinking and champagne being guzzled echoed across the terrace. Kelly embraced her husband and kissed him passionately for show. Their friends cheered again, with Hutch doing an exceptional catcall.

"Please, all of you, eat," Jon commanded, motioning to the spread at the table. "We can't have a celebration without food and drink." He sipped at his pink champagne, then placed a kiss against Lenora's temple.

As the guests began to crowd around the table, they were treated to Ginger's ear-splitting shriek. "OH MY GOD! OH MY _GOD_!"

"Is Lance here?" Jeff cracked facetiously.

Cliff buried his eyes in his hand. "Jeffrey, that was so uncalled for."

Holding Lisa's left hand in hers, Ginger began jumping up and down. She looked like she might begin to cry at any moment. "Oh my God. It happened! It finally happened!"

"_What_ happened?" Hutch called out between mouthfuls of Camembert cheese.

Aidan wrapped his arms around Lisa's shoulders. "We got engaged, that's what happened. Lisa's actually agreed to marry me."

At that, Cliff rushed over to his Mate's side. "How in seven hells did you trick Lisa into marrying you?" he asked. Then, turning to his teammate, he exclaimed, "Congratulations!" while pulling her in for a hug.

As the Voltron Force and Albegas members rushed over to congratulate them as well, Jon raised an eyebrow. He was suddenly filled with a profound sense of relief. Aidan Dalloway was getting married. His wife's ex-boyfriend had declared his love for another woman.

If only he could get rid of Sven Holgersson so easily.

The commander lifted up another bottle of rosé champagne. "Another toast," he announced. "To our Lisa and her new fiancé!"

More cheers and more champagne.

He watched the family as they gathered together, then took a sip of his Veuve Clicquot. It was so nice to be home. He loved his wife, and he loved being home with her. And because he was so happy, he enjoyed watching as their family found love and settled down.

The sun began to set, but the party was far from over. It had only just begun.


	9. Drinking From the Bottle

_Author's Note__: This chapter ended up being shorter than I originally intended. Why, you ask? Well, in five days, I will be going to Florida to attend the Orlando MegaCon with my brother (MaveriKat or RedPriest17, for those of you who read Ranma ½ or King of Fighters fics). I'm only attending one day, which means a writing vacation for me! I'll make up for it later._

_Should you happen to be there and see me, please grab me and say hello! I'd love to meet any of my readers in person._

_To Sally On - Got your message! Don't you worry about anything._

_To Emie Mac - Why do you think I apologized to you at the start of the chapter? ;) And yes, Jon is feeling much better. We'll see how Sven feels about everything soon enough._

_To MamaBirdCat - It's only going to get more interesting from here on out. I promise!_

_To bknbu - I love getting the girls all dressed up for a party. Wait'll you get an eyeful of the dresses for the royal wedding!_

_To Wade Wells - I know I'm moving slow, but trust me, I'm putting all the pieces in place so that when everything blows up, it blows up HUGE. (And keep watching for your girl; there's a hint in this chapter.)_

_**Title Song: "Drinking From the Bottle" by Calvin Harris ft. Tinie Tempah**_

* * *

_Pillow in hand, Jeff tried to make himself comfortable on Lance's red beanbag chair. Whenever his roommate broke up with his girlfriend, it meant that Jeff inevitably got kicked out of their room for at least a night - maybe longer - while Keith fumed to himself._

_This break-up had been really bad. They weren't sure what the heck went down between Keith and Morgan, but they knew it resulted in a heavy NAV202 text being chucked at the guy's head, followed by two doors slamming. Right away, they knew that Jeff and Lenora would be homeless for the night._

_"Hey, Aki," Lance grumbled, "you are putting an indelible print of your butt into my beanbag chair."_

_"Take it up with my roommate," Jeff retorted, covering his face with a blanket. Just to annoy Lance, he made himself even more comfortable, furrowing his backside even deeper into the chair and settling his head onto the pillow._

_"Jeff, Bro, that's enough - it's a frickin' beanbag chair," Lenora shot out at them from her seated position on Sven's bed. "I don't think you __can__ leave indelible butt prints on it."_

_Lance shot her a wounded look, but said nothing._

_"Ja__. She's right, you know." Sven, sitting at his desk, closed his navigation text. "It's a beanbag chair. Just because you're both annoyed that Jeff has to sleep on the floor...__again__...don't take it out on each other. Take it up with Keith and Morgan tomorrow morning."_

_"Well, how about Jeff and I take it up with Keith, and __you__ take it up with Morgan?" Lance challenged._

_The Norwegian grinned. "I have no problems with Lenora spending the night with me, so therefore I have no reason to take anything up with Morgan. If anything, I should be thanking her."_

_Jeff groaned, while Lance flopped face-first onto his mattress and pillow. Lenora laughed at them and gave her boyfriend a thumbs-up._

_"All right. __Slutten__." Pushing away from the desk, Sven dropped to the floor and reached underneath his bed. He pulled out a dusty cardboard box._

_"Dude," Lance remarked, "I haven't seen that box since the day you moved in. Are you really gonna open it?" His eyes began to widen. "And are you gonna share it?"_

_"That's the point, Moody." He opened the box and pulled out a heavy bottle filled with straw-colored liquid. "I told __min bestemor__ that I'd only open it with friends, and so she gave it to me."_

_"Who's that?" Jeff asked._

_Sven twisted the cap off the bottle. "My grandmother." Then, cap off, he inhaled. "Hmm. That smells like Norway. Reminds me of home."_

_"What exactly is it?" Lance asked, moving closer to his roommate's bed. _

_"Akevitt. But here in the States, I think you call it aquavit."_

_Jeff scrunched up his nose. "And what, pray tell, is the alcohol content in something like that?"_

_Sven picked up the bottle again. "I'm not sure." The label was written in Scandinavian, and he tilted his head to read it. His eyes danced around before he answered, "Forty percent."_

_"I'm game," Lenora said._

_"Me too," Lance chimed in. _

_"I'll be drunk off the first sip," Jeff announced._

_Sven nodded, then lifted the bottle. "__Skål__," he toasted. "Cheers." And then he put his lips on the bottle, knocked his head back, and swallowed. "Just as good as I remembered."_

_"Me next," Lenora insisted, and he passed the bottle over to her. She lifted it to her lips and took a sip. As she swallowed, a strange look came over her face. "Gods. I think this stuff just put hair on my chest." She passed the bottle to Lance while simultaneously pulling the neckline of her T-shirt out to double-check that she hadn't sprouted any._

_"Well, I suppose I could let you know if I saw the chest in question," Lance teased. His words garnered a dirty look from Sven. "Sheesh. I was only kidding, Viking. Man, you've gotta learn how to lighten up and take a joke." He tossed back a mouthful of liquid and swallowed, looking contemplative. "Eh. I've had better."_

_"We're seventeen, Lance," Jeff reminded him.  
_

_Lance shrugged. "So what? I've still had better." Leaning over, he passed the bottle to Jeff. Laying back on the beanbag chair, he chugged the Scandinavian liquid and immediately spit it out across the room._

_"Oh, gross," Lance moaned._

_"Way to go, Jeffrey," Sven admonished._

_Lenora giggled._

_"Dude! Are you trying to celebrate? Or kill me?" Jeff asked, handing the bottle back to the Norwegian. "I don't see how this stuff tastes like Norway. I think it tastes like death." Then, leaving his alcohol-infested spit everywhere, he threw the blanket over his head again._

_"Well then, I sure as heck am not cleaning up Jeff's mess, so I'm turning in for the night," Lance informed them all. "Good night, Sis. Good night, Viking." He looked down at the floor. "Good night, Girlie Man."_

_"Shut up and go to sleep, Lance," Jeff shot out from underneath the blanket._

* * *

Wade was confused.

When he walked into Maahox's lab, he'd been expecting to see continued Haggarium treatment on the Predator Robeast. It didn't surprise him to see the set-up for the extraction and infiltration processes humming along. No, what surprised him was the latest creation.

A new robeast.

"Maahox?" he called out unsurely, crossing his arms over his chest. "What in the devil's name are you doing in here? What robeast is _this_?"

The occult scientist looked annoyed. "The good king has insisted that I make him a robeast to launch on Arus." He said the word _king _with disgust. "He doesn't want to wait for the Predator Robeast to be finished; he said that he won't allow Princess Allura the chance to marry anyone except him."

A laugh escaped from Wade's lips. "Zarkon was right. Lotor is such a _fool_."

"He is indeed."

Wade joined Maahox by the control panel. "Well, if we're going to send him off to battle by himself, I'd at least like to see the schematics for his robeast. I don't want us to be completely embarrassed when the blasted Voltron Force annihilates him."

The occult scientist grinned, rubbing his hands together. They both knew what would happen when Lotor challenged Arus yet again: he would be defeated. And when he was defeated...well, without a back-up squadron, he would most likely be killed. For good.

Maahox had already vowed not to waste any more of his precious Haggarium on the king. The next time Lotor perished in battle, he would stay dead. He was tired of continually re-animating the egotistical, impatient, one-minded _fool_. He was a detriment to their overall goals and a waste of their valuable resources.

"It is a King Robeast," he explained. "Before her dissolution, the witch Haggar created a robeast very similar for King Zarkon." He smirked. "Of course, during that battle, Voltron defeated him, and Zarkon perished. But King Lotor is of the belief that it will be different for him, with the Haggarium infusions and all."

"That's right, Maahox. It _will _be different for me. I will not be like my father, may his soul rest in hell. _I _will be victorious."

Slowly, Wade and Maahox turned to see Lotor standing in the lab behind them. The occult scientist was terrified, wondering how much the Drule king had heard. Wade was merely amused. From what he could judge, Lotor had only heard the last sentence Maahox had uttered, which was far from incriminating.

"My lord," Maahox began carefully, "did you wish to see the King Robeast?"

Lotor shook his head disgustedly. "Not right now," he bemoaned. "Obviously, the gods are against me. I have just received an invitation to attend the Drule Supreme Council meeting on Planet Naraku." He grimaced. "An invitation from the First Kingdom of the Drule Supremacy is more a threat than anything else. Refuse it, and there will be sanctions."

Wade read between the lines. "Are you saying you'd like us to go with you?"

Lotor nodded, pulling a flask of amber-colored liquid off his belt and lifting it to his lips. "Actually, Wade, the answer is yes. The last time I went to a Supreme Council Meeting, I was with my father and Haggar. King Bhorn will be expecting a trio of representatives from Korrinoth."

Maahox turned his head to look at Wade, and then at Lotor. "I would be most willing to attend with you, my lord."

"I will go, as well," Wade offered reluctantly.

"Thank you." Lotor took another sip from his flask. "I appreciate this. You'll understand why once we land on Naraku."

And with those words, Wade wondered if he and Maahox had bitten off more than they could chew.

* * *

Jeff had no idea why Lenora had contacted him, asking him to meet her at her office. He swallowed anxiously. It catapulted him right back into his Academy years, always worrying about whether or not he'd get in trouble for one thing or another. He hadn't been one to cause problems, of course, but he _did _hang around with Lance, Cliff and Aidan enough to be implicated or called in for questioning.

After checking in with the secretary, he sat down to wait for the Space Marshal or the First Officer to open the door.

He was nervous. Secretly, he thought that maybe he was being called in to be told that he was being removed of his ranking and post on the Vehicle Team. That was ridiculous - he hadn't done anything wrong - but deep down, he'd always feared that there would be a moment when he'd be stripped of his position for good.

With good reason: it had already happened once. Under Wade.

Kelly opened the door and cleared her throat. "Captain Aki," she greeted him with a wink, "the Space Marshal is ready for you."

"Thank you, First Officer...am I calling you Asimov or Benton?"

"Why don't you make like Dalloway and call me First Officer A.B.?"

"That's hilarious." He saluted, and gave her a quick hug before going into the office. She closed the door behind him and left the two of them by themselves.

"Jeff, thanks for coming." She saluted.

He saluted back. "Space Marshal."

"At ease. And don't call me Space Marshal." Lenora stood up behind her desk. She was dressed in street clothes, not her usual uniform.

"Sure." He eased himself onto the chair, looking worried, and she nearly burst out laughing. "What's so funny, Len?"

"You are! You look so nervous. Like you got called into Graham's office."

"Well, not to split hairs or anything, but this _is _Graham's office."

"Ha." She looked him over, dressed in his own street clothes. He looked adorable as he twisted his wedding band on his finger. "So I take it you haven't been asked."

Jeff looked confused. "Asked what?"

"Aidan and Lisa asked everybody to be in their bridal party. Except you and me." She grinned. "Not that I blame them, of course. I suppose that if you've closed the deal with either the bride or the groom, you don't get asked to be in the bridal party."

"Ha." Jeff smirked. "Well, that counts us out."

"Yeah. So I wanted to see if you would join me for a quick drink. You know, the two losers sharing the consolation prize."

He laughed. "What? You want us to cry into our beer together?"

"Hardly. There's an old-school bar not too far away from here. I was thinking we could do a shot of some foreign stuff. Something you and I used to do together with Sven and Lance whenever we got kicked out of our dorm rooms."

_Akevitt._

For a moment, she looked extremely depressed. Jeff could only imagine what was going through his friend's head. Finally, she asked, "Will you go?"

"I'm in."

"Good."

He escorted her out of her office, and then out of the building entirely. In their street clothes, they didn't look like the captain of the Voltron Force and the Space Marshal of the Galaxy Alliance. They looked like old friends, which was what they really were at their core.

They took the long walk down the pedestrian bridge that connected Garrison Island with the mainland. The bridge dumped them out by the Space Academy, and Lenora took a long, hard look at the main building before turning her head down a side road. "Here. Down this way."

He followed her until she ducked into a nondescript storefront.

The bar was homey: dark wood floors, a polished wood bar, forest-green leather barstools. Jeff gawked at the old-fashioned overhead Tiffany lighting. He didn't even know a place like this still existed in Manhattan, and made a mental note to bring Christiane. She'd like it.

They sat down at the bar, and the bartender - he looked stoic and knowledgeable about liquor - acknowledged them with a nod of his head. Lenora cleared her throat before ordering two shots of aquavit. Jeff shuddered.

The bartender filled two shotglasses with the straw-colored liquid and slid them before his patrons. Lenora closed her eyes, looking almost reverent, as she lifted the glass to her lips. _"Skål."_

He watched as she tipped back her head, then accepted his shotglass with a groan. Lifting it up in a silent toast, he knocked his head back and downed the liquid in a single swallow. Wiping his lips afterward with his sleeve, he muttered, "Just so you know, this stuff _still _tastes like death."

She gave him a sad smile and looked down at the bar in front of her. He desperately wanted for her to be sad about not being one of Lisa's bridesmaids, but he knew that wasn't it. She wasn't so superficial.

It was Sven.


	10. Stay

_Author's Note__: Thanks to everyone who checked out my most recent short story, "I Can't See New York." I can't tell you how much it means to me that you all keep following these crazy characters of mine._

_To Emie Mac - Jeff's OK with booze, just not the booze he doesn't like the taste of. And I can totally see him & Len bonding over the snub, and then getting sad by it on a bunch of different levels._

_To bknbu - Lotor is being forced into action by the Drule Supreme Council, so keep your eyes open for Wade Wells' girl Merla. As for the bridal party snub, well, you knew it was bound to happen, right?_

_To Sally On - I hope you know that I think of you every time I write Maahox. And regarding the aquavit...when I finally pick up a bottle, I'm calling you. (Oh, and by the way, I am now officially obsessed with Daft Punk. I'm putting the blame on you.)_

_To Wade Wells - Oh, Merla. I'm pretty sure she won't want Lotor, but then again, she's a pretty good dictator, so she'll probably tell me what to do._

_**Title Song: "Stay" by Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko**_

* * *

As Jon sat up in bed, he heard his wife murmur, "Don't go. I want you to stay."

He sighed. This was growing almost impossibly difficult - how had two weeks passed by so quickly? How was it that he and the rest of his Voltron Force had to get back on the Explorer to do more survey work? He hated it. He hated leaving, he hated not sleeping, he hated missing his wife every time he left. "Believe me, _mon ange_, I want to stay. I want to stay more than you know."

Suddenly, she was upright, sitting next to him and wrapping her arms around his bare torso. "So don't go," she repeated, straddling his lap as her tangled chestnut locks grazed his face. "You know you can retire at any time, _mon coeur_. Your pension is safe...not that you need it."

Curled into each other, he kissed the side of her neck. "I can't leave them, Lenora. We've talked about this. They need me."

"_I _need you."

"I know."

He wasn't sure what the hesitation was. It would be easy for him to retire, and he'd be lying if he said there were many days when he hadn't wanted to. The only reason he could come up with was that it was his uncle's ship. Uncle Jacob had been gone for ten years, but the Explorer - he'd always called it the finest ship his steel mill had ever built. So, in a sense, it was the only link he still had to the man who raised him.

Deep down, he knew that the Voltron Force would be fine without him. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that Captain Newley and Tech Sargeant Sparks were more than capable of leading them in his stead. The team would go on like he was never there in the first place.

He chose not to think about that. Instead, he inhaled deeply, drawing in her scent. Even as he did, he knew that he was going to cave. Soon.

"Well," she interrupted his thoughts, "at least I know I'll see you sooner than usual." She placed her lips over his. "I'll see you on Arus for the wedding."

"Just a couple more weeks now. Are you ready to make the land purchase?"

She grinned and scooted off his lap. "More than ready." Suddenly, she frowned. "And after what went down on Pileria, I would appreciate it if something actually went well."

"Poor Justine."

"Yeah, I agree. She's been a trooper, though. While we're on Arus, she's going to Planet Elnor in the Cerulean Quadrant. You remember, the planet where the entire royal family was wiped out by a robeast attack? It's been ruled by a parliament ever since, and the representative seemed eager to meet with Justine."

The commander nodded. "That's good. There may be hope for your plan yet." He kissed the side of her head again. "So I'll see you on Arus. Tell me," he grinned, "do you have a scandalous dress to wear?"

She smirked. "Do I _ever_."

The thought made her sad for a moment. Lenora remembered her backless dress from the ball on Arus. That was the night she found out that Sven was still alive. _The night I betrayed Jon. _She hated to think about it, so she pushed the memory out of her mind for now. She didn't want to squander the precious few moments she had left with her husband thinking about another man.

* * *

"So, Pidge, please show us the latest schematics and upgrades to the castle defense."

The Green Lion pilot was deep in thought, his eyes fixed on the schematics in front of him. He knew that Allura and especially Keith were eager to finish the final phase of the castle defense upgrades.

The wedding was in two weeks, and the upgrades should have been completed by now. Unfortunately, when Pidge sent Vince out to pick up technical supplies in town - _It's amazing to see how far along Arus has come since we first got here,_ he thought proudly - the cadet was informed that the items were out of stock.

Keith looked the schematics over thoroughly before he replied, "This is ridiculous. Why didn't you get this going sooner, Darrell?"

Pidge's eyebrow shot up at the sound of his real name. "I started as soon as you two got engaged, and I've been going as fast as I can ever since then, Captain Crankypants. Why didn't you propose to Allura sooner to give me more time to work on this project?"

Vince and Allura both swallowed their laughter. Sensing the anger building up in her fiancé, the princess placed a soothing hand on Keith's shoulder. "It's fine, my love. It's _fine_."

Keith sighed. "Regardless of whether or not it's fine, you're cutting it awfully close. The wedding is in two weeks, Pidge. You really should have been done by the upgrades by now."

Vince jumped in to defend his mentor. "Keith, you have to understand...according to Pidge's calculations, the upgrades _should_ have been completed by now. We have no control over whether or not the supplies are in stock. And if they aren't, then it means we can't just move ahead with the other upgrades and come back to this one later. They all build on each other, sort of like dominoes."

The Voltron captain didn't seem convinced. "It's just too bad that it's not done now. You know that the first guests will be arriving in four days, right?"

"Relax, Keith," Pidge reassured him. "It's just Sven and Romelle and the baby, right? We don't need to run surveillance on them."

Allura exchanged a nervous glance with her fiancé. "Pidge," she breathed, "we haven't said anything yet, but we have another guest coming the same day. She's a wedding guest, yes, but she's also here on business."

"You don't trust her, then," Vince ventured a guess.

"No, we do," Keith countered. "But it's Space Marshal Stensson, and with her being on Arus at the same time as our guests from Pollux..."

Pidge coughed anxiously. "Say no more. I can't guarantee that I'll have the upgrades ready by then, Captain Cra - er, Captain - but at least I will try to the best of my abilities. I'll stay here longer today if necessary."

Keith nodded. "Thank you."

As he stalked out of the room, Allura wrapped one arm around Pidge and the other around Vince. "Try not to listen to him," she whispered. "You would think that _I _would be the one who's nervous about the wedding, but no, it's _him_."

"He's waited a long time for you, Princess," Pidge told her fondly. "I get it. It's his day, too. He doesn't want it ruined."

On hearing his words, the princess blushed. It was hard to remember a time before she and Keith were romantically involved, and easy to forget how long she and Keith had waited to be together. "I know, Pidge. I know."

Vince cleared his throat. "You should get going too, Princess," he advised. "I'm sure you have more important things you could be doing. You just let me and Pidge take care of all the technical details, okay?"

The princess smiled, and planted a kiss on the cadet's forehead. He was so sweet, that one. She wished that she could say the same for Daniel and Larmina, but she was sure that _that _situation would play out in time.

* * *

Justine had no desire to get out of bed. If she could have stayed there forever, she would have gladly done it.

The apartment seemed so much colder and emptier since she returned from Pileria. Every morning when she woke up, she would get the sense that something was missing. Then she would roll over, and the facts would suddenly come back to her in the most nauseating fashion imaginable.

Byron had left her.

The worst part of it wasn't that he that he dumped her, it was the way he'd done it that was so underhanded. While she'd been having such a hard time with her mission on Pileria, when she'd felt that sixth sense about him not picking up his phone to answer her call..._Well, at least I know now to trust my gut above all else. _No, Byron had not been there to pick up her call. Or to pick her up in the hangar when she returned from her mission on that grudge-filled planet. Or to greet her at the door when she finally made it back to their apartment. He was gone.

She'd called out for him after she unlocked the door, but there was no answer. There were no lights on. She flipped on a switch to see where she was going, and came face-to-face with the note he'd left for her, hanging onto the refrigerator door by a smiley-face magnet.

_Dear Justine,_

_You know how I feel about you, so I wish I had the guts to say this in person instead of writing it in a letter. But I don't, OK? So don't hold it against me._

_Things haven't been the same since you were promoted to Lieutenant. Being the Space Marshal's personal interplanetary relations specialist takes up most of your time and all of your thoughts. I hate to say this, but you're not the same woman I fell in love with. You've become this work-obsessed, ladder-climbing Garrison robot. I don't know you at all anymore._

_I can't stay in this relationship with you, Jus. Don't try to call me, I've changed my number. Don't try to find me, I don't want to see you. I don't want to rehash how bad this whole thing was. I just want to look back at the good moments fondly and forget the rest._

_Oh yeah, and I got my name off the lease. So you've gotta pay the entire rent yourself. Good luck with that. Well, actually, no. I'm sure you got a hefty pay raise to go along with your fancy new title. You'll be fine._

_- Byron_

Since she had to use the bathroom, she realized she had no choice but to get out of bed. Once she'd taken care of things, she trudged into the kitchen, where she'd left his note hanging on the refrigerator. First, it made her sad. Then it made her angry. Now it simply amused her.

She hated being alone and single, absolutely. But she knew that Byron was not the person she wanted to spend her life with. It was just that their relationship was easy and convenient.

Really, he'd done her a favor. Now she was free to find someone she actually _wanted _to be with. Someone who made her heart do flip-flops. Someone who supported her career instead of trashing it; someone who encouraged her and cheered her on instead of competing with her.

He was right. She _would _be fine.

With a sigh, she made herself a cup of coffee, re-reading the letter as she sipped it. She wanted to show it off to her girlfriends to give them a good laugh, but decided against it for now. She had a new mission to go on and a new planet to visit.

Putting her empty mug in the sink, she headed back to the bathroom for a shower. As she waited for the water to heat up, she packed a few things away for her visit to Planet Elnor. She hoped this one would go a lot better than the mission to Pileria did. Then, once she had her items together, she headed back to the bathroom.

She couldn't wait for this mission. She wanted to get off Earth and away from her thoughts as soon as she could. She didn't want to stay in this shoddy apartment where her horrible ex-boyfriend had the nerve to break up with her in a note held in place by a _smiley-face magnet._

Justine vowed that her life would start fresh, and a successful mission would be the perfect way to do it. She just had to have faith that everything else would eventually follow.

* * *

Usually, whenever the Explorer was about to take off for eight weeks, the mood in the hangar was grim and depressing. There were too many people saying good-bye to loved ones and staring at an eight-week time span of being alone and desperately missing their other halves. This time, however, was not so bad. They had all been invited to the wedding on Arus, so they knew that, at least this time, they would see each other again much sooner than the standard allotment of time.

Jeff in particular was not too thrilled about leaving. As the Explorer took off from the ground, he turned to Cliff and mumbled, "This gets tougher and tougher every time."

The Australian nodded in understanding. "I know, Jeff. I know." He cleared his throat. "I've been doing a lot of thinking myself lately. Especially now that Lisa and my Mate are getting married and are rehabbing their new apartment. We're getting older, Jeffrey, and as much as I've enjoyed - and been _grateful_ - for everything we've been given, I'm starting to wonder if it's enough."

"You too, huh?" Jeff shook his head. "I think most of us on this ship feel that way. Gods, sometimes I think it's too much to keep doing this."

Cliff lowered his voice. "I've been doing a lot of thinking the past two weeks. When I see my Mate on Arus, I'm going to tell him that when he and Lisa are ready to move into their new place, I want his old apartment. I'm done with New Jersey, especially since Cinda moved back to New York."

The Air Team captain almost doubled over in amusement. "It took you this long to realize that Jersey's not Manhattan? Haven't Aidan and I been telling you this for years?"

Cliff sighed. "Yes. And now I've realized that I want what you guys have, too. I want a wife and a family. I want a home in New York and a desk job at the Garrison." He shook his head. "This isn't cutting it anymore."

Jeff understood those words better than he wanted to. His old friend was saying that he wanted to stay on Earth, just like most of them.

Jeff may have been the broken one, but Cliff was the one who needed saving.

"Come on, Jack," he offered, pushing the Land Team captain in the direction of the cafeteria. "We need a drink. And I know for a fact that Sammy's got a contraband bottle of absinthe hidden back there in the kitchen somewhere. Oh, and sugar cubes and a slotted spoon, too."

Cliff made a face, but followed Jeff's lead.


	11. Don't Let It Break Your Heart

_Author's Note__: HOORAY! The office is closed for vacation this week! You know what that means - a couple more updates than usual. (Also, a few more shots of Ciroc and a few more glasses of vino, but hey...)_

_I did not create anyone or anything associated with the Drule High Council summit meeting. That is all courtesy of DDP. As always, I own only the characters and planets I've created._

_To Sally On - Got your message! I'm glad you're still enjoying & following along, even though life has been putting you through the wringer lately._

_To Emie Mac - Pidge is definitely the least likely to refer to Keith as "Crankypants," so hopefully our captain shapes up. And as for the Sven/Len/Romelle triangle on Arus...well, just wait 'til you see what we've got planned._

_To bknbu - I got your message, too! And no, there will be no resurrections on Elnor, sorry Romy. Please enjoy that Green Day concert, and I hope they play "Give Me Novocaine" too! (A little dentist humor...)_

_To FroofyB - I, too, am sad that the crew is growing up, and I'll be even sadder when I reach the end of this book. :*( But don't worry, I still have PLENTY more planned._

_To Wade Wells - Yes, it was all about the boys, wasn't it? And I'm glad you love Jon. I love him too. :) (Wait 'til I finish "Paris"...trust me, you're the first one who'll get it.)_

_**Title Song: "Don't Let It Break your Heart" by Coldplay**_

* * *

Planet Naraku was the last place Lotor wanted to go. He equated the planet with his father, and he _hated _to think about his father. The last thing that Zarkon had ever called him before he met his demise was, "Fool."

One simple word, the only word Zarkon would ever use as endearment towards his son. "Fool."

_Fool._

The command ship, with Cossack at the helm, began its initial descent to Naraku. Lotor's gut twisted as he looked down upon the harsh terrain. He was not looking forward to the Supreme Council Meeting. He did not want to face King Bhorn and the rest of the war-minded, domination-obsessed Drule royalties.

Not just because of his father. It was because he had a genuine plan to take over the galaxy and all of the planets in the Alliance, and he didn't want - or require - help from the other nine planets that made up the Drule Supreme Council. He didn't want them to get involved and potentially steal the spoils of war, or more importantly, the _glory_, from him.

"Lotor, you look like you've got a thousand things running through your mind at once."

The king looked up and found Wade examining him, almost as though he was reading his thoughts. How did the Sky Marshal know these things? The man truly _was _evil incarnate. "I hate Naraku. You'll understand why once we land and see for yourself."

Wade looked thoughtful for a moment. "I can't understand why. It's a meeting of the minds, Lotor. The most evil, conniving..._brilliant _minds in the Drule Empire, all under one roof." His steely eyes flashed with excitement. "Truly, I don't understand why you would hate it. There is so much knowledge to be gained."

The king sighed. _Of course he doesn't understand._

Once the ship landed, Lotor begrudgingly led Wade and Cossack - at the last moment, Maahox had opted not to go, instead preferring to work on a new formulation that would increase the Haggarium's power - and made their way inside Bhorn's castle.

The king swallowed as flashbacks began to run through his mind. There was the time he punched Prince Skath of the second kingdom - _Is he king now? Did King Meer die? _- in the jaw. There was the time Bhorn singled out the ninth kingdom for insubordination. And of course, there were the many whispers and rumors that Duchess Merla of the seventh kingdom had her eyes on Lotor for a husband.

Remembering made him feel physically ill. He suddenly wished that his death and reanimation had wiped out those memories, but no such luck. As long as he still breathed, he would carry everything over from his last life and into this one. And any other life that might follow. He supposed it was both his cross to bear _and _his punishment for being unable to defeat the Voltron Force.

"Wow," Cossack muttered, dumbstruck, "I forgot how intimidating this place is."

Next to him, Wade exhaled as though trying to bite back a nasty comment. Which, Lotor guessed, he probably was.

As they made their way to the meeting room, a round room with many "box seats" surrounding a central dais, they were stopped by the guards and ordered to give identification. Successfully hiding his outrage that he should be forgotten, the king snarled, "Lotor, King of Korrinoth the Ninth Kingdom."

He heard a condescending fit of laughter from behind him. _Surely it can't be..._

But it was.

He turned his head ever so slightly. He was annoyed and impatient - he had no time for games, especially when Bhorn had such little tolerance for tardiness. Narrowing his eyes, he whipped the entire bulk of his body around and shot the voice an intimidating glare. _"Merla..."_

* * *

Romelle was busy packing for Arus. Because she, along with her husband and son, were leaving earlier than most of the other guests for the royal wedding, they needed to bring more clothes than they normally would. Though Pollux was still rebuilding itself after the Zarkonian Wars - she and Bandor believed it could possibly take up to a generation of undisturbed growth before the planet returned to its original opulent glory - she did have a few items made up for her by the royal tailor, including the dresses she planned to wear for the wedding ceremony and reception.

As she packed, she heard squeals of laughter coming from the adjacent nursery. The two men in her life were playing together, and she knew that Erik, even at the young age of two, loved roughhousing with his father. She smiled to herself. _The therapy is working. Sven is like a different person. Things are so much better now._

"Mama! Want to see Mama!" she heard the boy cry out.

"Okay, then, little man. Let's go see Mama." He paused, and she remembered that he had been trying to teach their son manners. "What do you say?"

"Thank you, Dada."

"Nice work, Erik! Now, let's go see Mama."

She had to admit, it warmed her heart to know that her husband loved their son so much. When they had first gotten married, Romelle knew that they weren't in love with each other, but she did know without a hint of doubt that Sven would make an amazing father. She was so glad that she had been right about that.

They both walked into the royal bedroom, where suitcases, steamer trunks and garment bags were strewn open and covered nearly every available inch of floor space. Sven looked at her with amusement as he took in the surroundings and the amount of clothes that needed to be packed. "Wow, this little boy has more clothes packed for this trip than I do," he commented lightly, wrestling with the squirming toddler in his arms. He placed a kiss on the top of Erik's head.

Had it been a year earlier, Romelle would have taken his statement the wrong way, perceiving it as disapproval, and she would have lashed out in retaliation. Today, though, she simply laughed, finding the amusement in her husband's words. "You know what's even funnier? He has more clothes packed away than even _I _do."

He laughed, deep and genuine. "Oh, come on now, Romelle. I find that hard to believe."

Again, a year ago, she would have taken his words the wrong way. Today, she laughed with him, abandoning her project and scooping Erik out of his arms. "Did you hear that, little man? Dada thinks that Mama has too many pretty dresses." She covered his face in kisses. "Do you think Mama has too many dresses?"

The boy shook his head enthusiastically. "No, Mama, thank you."

They both laughed. "Well," Romelle cried out, over-exaggerating her enthusiasm, "what a well-mannered boy we have! Such a polite young prince!"

At those words, Sven froze internally.

_A prince. _As much as he tried not to think about it, he realized that he would need to address the issue head-on. He was merely a pilot, but his wife and his son were members of the royal family on Pollux. No wonder the Polluxians were so angry with him. On top of his Haggarium rages and outbursts, how dare he - a mere commoner - procreate with their darling princess, adding _his _unworthy genetics to the royal blood?

It should have been a happy family moment, but instead, Sven was filled with dread.

* * *

Pidge was exhausted. He'd spent the entire day, more or less, reconfiguring the schematics for the defense upgrades. A few hours earlier, he'd let Vince go, thinking that he didn't want to overwhelm the cadet and burn him out. So for the past few hours, he had worked by himself.

He wasn't doing it for Keith. He was doing it for Allura.

Not that he didn't love Keith, of course. Pidge had known Keith since he was twelve years old. Chip may have been his twin brother, but Keith was the older brother he never had. So was Hunk.

Lance? Well, Lance was like the creepy old uncle who preyed on the young girls at holiday gatherings, but that was beside the point.

Allura, though, had done him a huge favor, one that he was eternally grateful for: she'd made him Larmina's escort for the wedding reception.

When they returned to Arus after Keith rescued Black Lion, Pidge hadn't thought twice about Allura's niece. She was just _there_; a pesky cadet who was no better or worse than Daniel or Vince. But now that he'd gotten to know her better, he was enchanted by her. Intrigued, even. Larmina was not just some dumb, over-indulged, helpless little princess. She was tough, she was fierce, she was fearless.

She was beautiful.

_Way to go, Darrell, _he chided himself as he made the late trek back to his room. _Interested in a girl who's eleven - __eleven__! - years younger than you are. What's wrong with you?_

Hmm. He'd always equated _Lance _with the "creepy old uncle" role. Apparently, he'd inherited it.

_Well, I have to do this, _he tried to tell himself. _I know Daniel's trying to move in on her. All I'm doing is trying to protect her. You know, keep him from breaking her heart._ But even as he tried to rationalize, he knew he was only lying to himself. He wasn't just trying to protect her. He genuinely liked her and was interested in her.

_Great. At twenty-nine, I'm the new "creepy old uncle."_

* * *

Lenora had already bought her gown for the royal wedding reception. That being said, Morgan, Kelly and Christiane had not. Of the four of them, though, it was imperative that Christiane had a spectacular array of dresses to wear. She _was_, after all, the groom's sister.

That had been another topic Lenora had discussed with Morgan on the night they planned the wedding party for Taye and Kelly. The seer hadn't mentioned anything, but they knew that Christiane had nothing to wear to her brother's wedding ceremony and reception - of _course _two different outfits would be required - and even less money to buy them with. How could she possibly be announced as the sister of the royal consort and not look the part?

They decided to split the cost of her reception dress. And Kelly, once she found out what they planned to do, offered to pay for the less-formal ceremony dress herself.

Now the four of them were going in and out of different department stores on Fifth Avenue, looking for dresses for both of the events. Christiane nervously bit her lip and nails as she thumbed through different racks of dresses. She hadn't seen anything, but it was written plainly all over her face - _How will I ever afford this?_

Morgan had been watching her so-called "Baby Girl" as she searched through the racks. "She's freaking out," she whispered quietly to the Space Marshal and First Officer. "She knows she's gotta look good, but she can't afford it. And she's freaking out."

Kelly clucked her tongue. She had her own hands on one dress in particular, only to shove it over to Lenora. "Christiane," she offered, letting down her guard and allowing the last trace of her Bajan accent to come through, "what are you looking at?"

"Oh. Um, this one." Christiane lifted a dress from the rack, nervously looking at the price tag. It was a lot more money than she could afford. "I really like it, but I can't even think about trying it on. It's way too expensive."

Kelly placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, carefully avoiding any bare skin so the seer couldn't read her. "Little K," she began gently, "we'll take care of it for you. Pick out any dress you want for the ceremony, and I'll pay for it. Any dress you want for the reception, and those two over there have got it covered." She offered a rare smile. "I mean it. We love you. Not only did you marry into our family, but your brother is part of our family. There's an unspoken vow for us to take care of you, and we intend on doing just that."

Christiane's turquoise eyes pricked with tears, but she remained calm. "Thank you," she whispered, casting her gaze over to Morgan and Lenora. "I can't thank any of you enough."

"Baby Girl," Morgan told her, "we've got your back. I'll take care of you. I promised I would."

And then she burst into tears herself.

Christiane wrapped her arms around Morgan and immediately felt what her surrogate mother was feeling. Had things turned out differently, it would have been _her _instead of Allura. Instead, she was going to her ex-boyfriend's wedding and, even more of a slap in the face, helping his sister dress for the occasion.

She could feel how it all broke Morgan's heart.

"I love you," she whispered.

Morgan wiped the tears out of her violet eyes. "I love you more, Baby Girl." She sniffed. "Now, let's get you in some dresses."


	12. Thoughts

_Author's Note__: I'd like to wish a Happy Easter to anyone who's celebrating! If not, well, the chocolate eggs and bunnies are still yummy. :-)_

_Again, the best portrayal of the Drule High Council comes from DDP comics. I don't own that, but I do own all of my characters._

_To Sally On - Got your message! Yes, I miss you over here too, but I'm glad you were still able to enjoy Pidge's "creepy old uncle" moment._

_To Petronille - I'm so glad you're onboard! I love happy family moments with Sven, Romelle and Erik. Question is, how long will it last?_

_To Emie Mac - Pidge as the creepy old uncle? Whoever would've thought that Lance's role would be filled by Pidge? Man, Ginger must be workin' her magic. _

_To bknbu - Yes, Wade Wells' girl Merla is making a cameo appearance in this chapter. What does the future have in store for her? Only time will tell._

_To Wade Wells - I know how sappy you are when it comes to love, romance and family. We're cut from the same cloth, remember? Love you!_

_**Title Song: "Thoughts" by Tori Amos**_

* * *

Wade was infatuated by the Drule Supreme Council. He looked like an interloper, and he technically was; a human in the midst of the summit meeting had never occurred before. Not that he felt inferior - no, Charles Herbert Wade had never lacked for arrogance or confidence.

That was a good thing, because Lotor seemed to be lacking both of those traits at the moment.

Surrounded by his peers and equals, the king should have been in top form, but he was not. Merla had rattled him with her laughter. To the Sky Marshal, it was an embarrassment on behalf of the Ninth Kingdom.

King Bhorn - _How is the old man even still alive? _Lotor thought with disgust - sat in the center-most box seat, surrounded by a swarm of young, beautiful Drule servants. "As ruler of the First Kingdom of the Drule High Supremacy, I, King Bhorn, now call this council meeting to order. I prefer for you to announce yourselves in the numerical order of your kingdoms." He rested his cheek against his fist as his servant girls tended to his comforts.

Lotor held both his breath and his tongue as the roll call began, mentally commenting to himself as each ruler was announced.

"King Skath of the Second Kingdom." _Ah, so Meer has finally passed on..._

"Queen Lirinska of the Third Kingdom."

"General Krai Soltorn of the Fourth Kingdom." _She's still in command? Obviously, this is one woman I would not want to cross._

"Queen Xarnaren of the Fifth Kingdom."

"King Grae of the Sixth Kingdom."

"Queen Merla of the Seventh Kingdom." _What? She's QUEEN now? Oh, Lotor, times have changed..._

"Lord Vyrketh of the Eighth Kingdom." _He's still just a boy!_

"King Lotor of the Ninth Kingdom," he announced begrudgingly.

"King Dharlok of the Tenth Kingdom."

After the customary introductions, Wade sat back in his chair on Lotor's left side. He did not care that he was the only white-skinned being in attendance, and no one else seemed to be bothered by it, either. This was a huge opportunity for the Sky Marshal, and he fully intended to gain as much insight as he could from the experience.

_How disappointing, _he thought, _that Lotor does not feel the same way_.

* * *

It was an early wedding present. No, not the extra-large bottle of Ciroc vodka she'd smuggled off Earth for him, though that was definitely an added bonus. It was the room. The room itself was Allura's wedding present to her fiancé.

It had been Alfor's personal study. Now it belonged to Keith; his own personal sanctuary within the castle where he could be alone to think. Aside from the honor of being able to spend his life as Allura's husband, there was no better wedding present he could have asked for than this room.

Keith enjoyed spending time in solitude with only his thoughts to keep him company. When he was younger, before he attended the Space Academy, it was his way of staying sane; his refuge as he was bounced from family to family in New York's foster-care system. When he was at the Academy, it was his coping mechanism as he dealt with classes, personal issues and, of course, a tumultuous on-and-off relationship with Morgan. Once he was on Arus and was leading the Voltron Force, it got him through some of the worst times in his life and in his career.

At the moment, he was thinking over the idea of Larmina as the pilot of Blue Lion. He had spoken privately with Coran, unbeknownst to his fiancée, to tell him that he wanted Allura to relinquish the role after the wedding. She couldn't be the queen _and _a Voltron Force pilot at the same time.

_Well, she __could__, _he thought grimly, _but she would never be able to give her full attention to either role. At best, she would only be giving each job fifty percent of her thoughts, time and energy. And that's no way to fulfill either role._

It was time. Arus needed Allura to be its queen. Coran had agreed with Keith's assessment, grateful that he had brought the subject up to the advisor. "I didn't want to track you down to have this conversation, Captain," he'd said, obviously relieved.

His thoughts were interrupted by a banging on the door. Instantly, he knew who was on the other side. "Keep your pants on, Lance!"

He opened the door and was greeted by his second-in-command's Cheshire-cat grin. "Oh, Crankypants, how did you know that I was having a tough time doing that around you?"

Keith let Lance into his private study. "You disturb me. You know that, right?"

"Well, it wouldn't be right if I didn't accomplish that, now, would it?" He sank into a leather chair and looked around. "Hey, is that a bottle of Ciroc over there? You mean to tell me you've got a stash of Earth imports in here and you've been holding out on me?"

"Lance, why are you _really _here?"

"The tuxes. We've gotta get fitted for our tuxes, remember? Final alterations and adornments before the wedding so, you know, you don't have to worry about it at the last minute?" He rolled his eyes. "I hate this wedding planning business. See, this is one of the many reasons why I don't ever wanna get married."

"I see." Keith raised an eyebrow. "You're right, Lance. You _have _been doing a lot of wedding planning. Which is why I'm so surprised that I had to take the liberty of planning my own bachelor party. I thought that _you _of all people would want to be in charge of that, and instead I had to take matters into my own hands."

"Hey. You stuck me with Nanny. You deserve what you got."

Keith grinned. "The night before the wedding, the brotherhood is going to hang out in here. Just the eight of us: you, me, Pidge, Hunk, Sven, Aidan, Jeff, and Cliff. We're going to smoke cigars and drink Ciroc and shoot the breeze until we pass out. The boys on Earth are taking care of the supplies. You just need to show up."

Lance pouted. "Well, since they're bringing all of the stuff, I sure hope that Aki remembers to supply my beanbag chair, too. _Hmpf."_

At that, Keith laughed.

* * *

The commander was in his private quarters on the Explorer. Captain Newley had taken over command of the bridge to allow the commander time to eat, but he really wasn't in the mood to go to the cafeteria. Nor was he hungry enough to stomach the meals that Sammy haphazardly threw together. Instead, he sat at his desk, looking over the Explorer's maintenance notes from over their last break.

As he was reading about the repairs and upgrades made to the ship during that two-week time period, he heard a knock at the door. Placing the paperwork down, he moved to answer it.

Lisa was standing in the hallway. "Good evening, Commander," she greeted him almost timidly. "Am I interrupting anything? I'd like a few moments of your time."

"Certainly." Hawkins stood aside and allowed his Sea Team member to step into his quarters, closing the door behind them. He returned to his spot at the desk, and she settled into one of the reddish-brown leather chairs across from him.

"Sir," she began, twisting her large aquamarine engagement ring on her finger, "it should come as no surprise to you that Aidan and I have already begun planning our wedding. We'd like a traditional, formal affair."

He smiled absently. "That's wonderful. I look forward to attending."

She shot the commander a sad smile. "My family...I think you might know that I'm not very close with my biological family. My mother passed away when I was eight years old, I haven't heard much from my older sister since she went to college, and my dad and I have a very strained relationship. He didn't ever like the idea of his daughter enrolled in the Space Academy, and I feel as though he's written me off entirely these past few years."

"That's too bad, Lisa. I'm sorry to hear all of that. I had no idea."

Lisa nodded. "So, as I was saying, Aidan and I have decided on a traditional affair. I've been giving this a lot of thought, Sir, and I would very much like for you to walk me down the aisle. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, you've been a father figure to the entire Voltron Force, and since you've married into my non-biological family..."

"It would be my pleasure." Hawkins flashed her a pleased grin. "I'm honored that you hold me in such high regard, Lisa."

"Thank you, Sir. Thank you so much!" Lifting herself off the chair, she moved over to where the commander was seated, and threw her arms around his neck.

Hawkins found himself returning the hug, thinking about how nice it was to be part of a family. It also made him eager to start his own family, wondering what it might feel like to walk his own daughter down the aisle one day.

* * *

Cossack had never been one to look down on his king. He might not always have agreed with Lotor's - and previously Zarkon's - rulings and assessments, but generally he respected their wishes. At this moment, though, the general had to agree with Wade: Lotor was an embarrassment not only to the Ninth Kingdom, but to the Drule Supreme Council as a whole.

Speaking of Wade, he was horrified. He had expected that Lotor would be miserable throughout the meeting, but he hadn't expected him to publicly put his misery on display. He thought that the king would at least hold himself together instead of acting bored and disrespectful the entire time.

The Sky Marshal was wrong.

"See, I _told _you two that this meeting was complete and utter drivel," Lotor hissed under his breath to the general and the Sky Marshal. "It's antiquated. Bhorn is an old man who should have given up the throne a long time ago."

"I didn't see it like that," Wade countered non-defensively. "I enjoyed it. I gained a lot of insight from the meeting."

"Well," Lotor sneered, "don't expect me to put you on the throne. Oh, no. I waited far too long for my father to die so I could take his position, and I'm not about to relinquish it." He paused, stopping in his tracks as he did. "And just _what_, pray tell, is _this_?"

Maahox had left the ship and was in the royal courtyard outside of Naraku's palace. Lotor didn't care about that part; no, he cared more about the fact that the occult scientist was animatedly speaking with Merla, his one mechanical eye popping out of his head in delight.

Though she was nowhere near as beautiful as Allura, Lotor had to admit that Merla was striking. She was Drule, yes, but a light-skinned Drule who looked like she'd been dipped in white paint mixed with a drop or two of a vibrant violet color. Her waist-length hair was the same color as an Earth raspberry, and she wore it in a thousand or more tiny braids, all twisted into one meticulously-crafted updo. Her amber felinoid eyes were rimmed with dark liner and her lips were painted purple. As she moved, he could see the outlines of her lithe, taut body beneath her form-fitting black dress, long-sleeved with cutouts at the shoulder to allow her pale skin to show through.

She made quite an impression. The king heard Wade's breath catch in his throat. At the same time, Cossack tripped over his own feet. _Idiots._

Seething, he stormed over to Maahox and Merla, stomping his feet like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. "What do we have here?" he asked angrily, shooting deadly expressions at the two of them. "What is the meaning of this, Merla? Why are you bothering my occult scientist?"

The queen laughed again, and Lotor wanted to strike her. "Ah, Lotor, it's good to see you again," she greeted him with amusement. "It's been awhile. I heard that you had died. That the Voltron Force had killed you off." She placed her hands on her hips, and Lotor noted that each finger had a silver ring on it. "Maahox here told me that I had heard correctly, that you had died and he reanimated you."

_"MAAHOX!" _Furious, Lotor delivered a blow across the occult scientist's face. That one eye went flying.

"Oh, Lotor, for shame. You know that he could have kept his mouth shut, but I'd have found out what I needed to know anyway. Or have you forgotten about my telepathic abilities?" A sultry smile curled up her purple lips.

"You look like a witch," he spat out as a retort.

Behind him, Wade buried his face in his hands.

Gently, Merla tucked back a lock of the king's gleaming white hair. As she did so, she ran a finger over the scar on his forehead. "Such a shame that you still can't get over your obsession with the princess of Arus, Lotor. The two of us could have ruled the universe together."

The king narrowed his eyes. "You know, Merla, they burned the witches at the stake. I suggest you remember my words of advice."

Gently, she threw back her head and laughed. "Oh, Lotor. Time was, I thought that you and I were destined to be together. But now I know better. We would have killed each other if we had ever married." She blew him a kiss before turning to walk off. "It was good to see you, my dear. Try not to get yourself killed..._again."_

Lotor's hands fisted at his sides. He gritted his teeth together, not only because he was enraged, but because he couldn't think of the perfect reply to her cutting remarks. As he stared after her, Maahox gathered his eye and returned it to its rightful place. "I'm sorry, my lord," he apologized.

"It doesn't matter," Lotor grumbled. "That woman is a witch, Maahox. Like she said, she would have found a way to extract the information from you even if you _had _kept your mouth shut."

"_I_ don't care," Cossack piped up idiotically. "That Merla is _hot_. I wish she would've looked in my direction."

Disgusted, Wade headed back to the command ship by himself. He was so disappointed. Lotor had squandered two glorious opportunities: one to learn valuable insight and knowledge at the Drule Summit meeting, and the other in making an ally and confidant out of Queen Merla.

For some reason, he thought that because of his stupidity, the Drule king would not survive his next showdown with the Voltron Force. The next time Lotor encountered the mighty robot, he would perish. And he was fairly certain that Maahox and Cossack thought the exact same thing.


	13. Soldier of Love

_Author's Note__: Well, I'm back after a short hiatus. I should explain - I had short story, "Locked Out of Heaven," that I'd been trying to write for months, and it wasn't getting done. Finally, it said, "Enough, Kath! Put the other book on hiatus until you finish me!" Who am I to turn down such a request? But now I'm back, and even more eager to get this show on the road!_

_As always, I own nothing except my characters._

_To bknbu - I think there may very well be some plans to bring your favorite non-character, the beanbag chair, to Arus for Keith's bachelor party. Expect an ensuing argument between Jeff and Lance._

_To FroofyB - I am so glad you were blessed to have an uncle who was thrilled to do the honors! I will try to make you proud. And yes, as a side note, Lotor can be VERY stupid..._

_To Sally On - I miss you, Sally! I'm so glad you enjoyed the Wade/Cossack/Lotor/Merla exchange. The baddies, as you can well attest to, are always fun to write._

_To Wade Wells - Lovey! You should know that every time I write Merla, I think of you. ;)_

_**Title Song: "Soldier of Love" by Sade**_

* * *

Keith sat in front of the monitor, performing his usual morning routine of sipping his black coffee and doing perimeter scan. It didn't matter that the man was getting married in less than two weeks; he was a creature of habit and didn't plan on deviating from the norm until the day Allura walked down the aisle. He watched as the cameras began to show different views on the screen.

He was not surprised to see Larmina on the balcony, performing a series of Sun Salutations.

"Keith," he heard a voice come up behind him, "I just wanted to let you..._whoa."_

Pidge had never seen Larmina perform yoga on the balcony before. It was all pretty run-of-the-mill for the Voltron captain, but Green Lion's pilot had yet to see the lady of Arus perform her daily morning routine. "Uh, Darrell? Were you going to say something?"

The systems analyst shook his head. Then, his eyes glued to the cadet's lithe body, he recanted and nodded. "I, uh," he sputtered, his eyes never leaving the screen, "I just wanted to tell you that the part we needed for the systems upgrade will be in within the next three days. So the entire surveillance and security systems will have completed upgrades by your wedding day."

The screen changed, and Larmina's image disappeared. Once it was gone, Pidge visibly relaxed. "That's great," Keith told him, never taking his eyes off the monitor. "I knew you could do it." He conveniently refrained from calling Pidge out on his all-too-obvious feelings regarding Allura's niece.

Soon to be _his _niece.

"Uh...yeah." Pidge jammed his hands into his pockets. "I just wanted to keep you updated, Chief. I'll let you get back to perimeter scan now."

"You'll be in your lab?"

"Yeah. And if you're looking for Vince, he'll be there with me."

Keith didn't look over his shoulder as his teammate left Castle Control. He couldn't believe it: Pidge had a crush on Larmina. _Pidge._ At least with Lance, he knew enough to expect comments regarding the cadet and Downward Dog, but that was as far as it would ever get.

Green Lion's pilot was another matter.

He raised an eyebrow as the images on the screen continued to switch. _Hmm. Maybe __that's__ the reason Pidge is sitting at the head table with us..._

* * *

Since she was leaving for Arus the following morning with her husband and child, Romelle had committed herself to helping Emma gather a trousseau to take to Arus. Pollux was still in recovery, and there was no one to help the new queen gather a wardrobe. Its princess was the best hope.

"What do you think about this one?" Emma held a long formal gown up against her body, looking at her reflection in the full-length mirror. "I wish I'd thought to have the royal tailor make me something new for this wedding. Oh well, can't win 'em all." She rolled her eyes. "Though I can guarantee that _Rizz_ has a dress she'll look spectacular in."

Romelle laughed. "Why do you care about what your sister is wearing? _You're _the one who's part of the bride's family."

Emma rolled her eyes. Without words, she laid the long gown across the bed and picked up a shorter, less-formal strapless dress. The queen's fondness for bare necklines, despite the fact that it wasn't exactly royally acceptable, was beginning to spark trends on Pollux. The princess found it exciting; it seemed like the beginning of a revival of sorts on her planet. "Yeah, I know," she responded glumly after a time. "It's just that...well, Steve's not going to the wedding, so Rizz is going as the Exxusian representative. And now that we're both queens, people are going to start drawing comparisons."

They both knew that Queen Emmaline, wife of Crown King Bandor of Planet Pollux, had always felt inferior to her older sister. Crown Queen Clarissa of Planet Exxus was older, taller, smarter, and prettier - well, according to Emma, at least. And this wedding, being the first big event she would be attending as queen, made her feel all the more insecure.

"Relax, Em," Romelle soothed her, holding up another dress. "You've got nothing to be nervous about. There's nothing to worry about. You're gorgeous, and you'll continue to look gorgeous no matter which dresses you choose to wear."

"No." Emma shook her head. "I'll still be nervous, 'Melle. There's more to it than just the competition between me and Rizz." She accepted the garment from her sister-in-law and distractedly held it against her body. Looking straight into the mirror - it was less painful to speak to her reflection instead of directly to Romelle - she continued, "Tyvel's prince is going to be there. And so will Space Marshal Stensson."

There was no misinterpretation of her words. Romelle knew that the woman she considered her sister was more concerned than anything else about her marriage. The fact that the objects of both Sven's _and _her affections were invited guests at the Arusian royal wedding...well, of course the poor girl would worry.

And she had enough on her plate to worry about as it was.

"Oh, Em," Romelle tried her hand at reassurance, "Sven and I are still working things through. But I know you can tell that our relationship is better - and even stronger - for it. I have no desire to see Prince Erimar again. What we did is inexcusable, but I have closed that chapter."

She truly meant the words as she said them, but even as they escaped her lips, she wondered what would happen when she saw him again. How would she react? How would her body react to his presence? Would it betray her again, the same way it had when she first had the affair with him?

And then there was her husband and his old fiancée..._If I'm already worrying about Erimar, what will Sven do when he sees Lenora?_

Emma looked back at her anxiously. "I love you, 'Melle. I love Sven, too, and I don't think I need to tell you how much I adore Erik. I want nothing but happiness for all of you." She wrapped her arms around the Polluxian princess. "I need you two to soldier on and keep fighting for your marriage. Because if _you _don't make it, then I have no one to look up to."

Romelle knew what the queen meant. It wasn't that she was unhappily married to Bandor; on the contrary, they adored each other. But the girl had never had any married couples in her life to serve as role models; her parents had passed away when she was too young to remember, and neither of her siblings were married. All she had to look up to was Sven and Romelle.

She didn't know if she would exactly call their marriage a model to be emulated. Regardless, she knew that Emma was right. She would soldier on, for both her marriage and her family. She would fight for love. And she hoped against hope that Sven would do the same thing.

* * *

Being on a course different from their usual mission was exciting. It reminded them all of their days under Space Marshal Graham, when they were on the hunt for new and livable worlds to help ease their overcrowded planet; the days before Wade took over the Garrison. Forming Vehicle Voltron's three main team vehicles - the Strato Fighter, the Turbo Terrain Fighter, and the Aqua Fighter - they flew ahead of the Explorer on their way to Arus.

Hey, it wouldn't hurt if they discovered a new planet along the way.

Ginger, in particular, was eager to get to Arus. It wasn't only because of Lance, because he certainly had a large part to do with it. She was also looking forward to seeing her old friends, putting on some pretty dresses, drinking, dancing, and generally acting silly..._and_ dealing with wedding plans that had nothing to do with Lisa.

As the maid of honor, Ginger had already been through countless hours of wedding "planning" with the newly-engaged woman. They had looked at wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. With the groom, they had chosen a lovely venue for the much-too-large reception - much too large in _her _opinion, anyway - and checked out hairstyles, make-up, shoes and undergarments for the bride. And the bubbly blond Air Team member was already over it.

Not that she didn't love Lisa. She adored her old Academy roommate. No, it was Bridezilla Lisa that she couldn't stand. And it was getting old. So was it wrong of her to want a massive royal wedding to put the Bridezilla to shame?

_Yes, _she giggled to herself. _And If it's wrong, I don't wanna be right._

She tried to get her thoughts off Lisa's and Aidan's wedding. She wanted to think about Lance again. A year ago, after they'd left Arus and returned to New York, she'd purchased a ring for him. It was a beautiful ring, yellow gold with a flat brushed oval face and his monogram carved into it. No, she wouldn't be proposing marriage to him. She didn't believe in marriage. But she _did _believe in a lifetime commitment, and if she had to be the one to swallow her pride and ask for it, well, she would.

It was a huge risk for her, but somehow she knew that Lance would say yes.

The ring was nearly attached to her at all times. She kept it in a small dark-green felt jewelry bag, safe and secure in the pocket of whatever garment she put on. It was always near her, a sort of reminder that she would never love anyone as much as Lance McClain. Ginger grinned to herself nervously, mulling over how she would present him with the ring. And, to add to her anxiety, she worried how they would ever be together if he _did_ accept.

Shrugging her feelings off, she decided not to worry about that. If they were meant to be, they were meant to be, and they would find a way to be together. She just wasn't sure if they would have to go through all seven hells to do it.

* * *

David didn't go to shooting practice because he actually needed to practice. He was still the best gunner in the Garrison, and probably the whole of the Alliance. But to him, it was almost like going to church. It was cleansing. Healing. Spiritual in its own way.

"Geez, Dave. You make the Space Marshal look bad."

He looked over his shoulder at his shooting partner. For better than ten years - well, minus the four she had been in hiding from Wade - David Rackens and Lenora Stensson had been shooting partners. Though she hadn't specialized in defense at the Space Academy, she was a better gunner than most. Once she graduated, he'd dumped his old shooting partner and replaced him with her.

"Well," he retorted in his most proper British accent, "the Space Marshal just isn't as good as I am, now is she?"

She jumped on his back. "You stink, man."

"Me?" He shot her a faux-innocent grin. "I thought that was your Bro who stunk."

Lenora rolled her chocolate-brown eyes playfully. "My Bro does _not _stink. Don't hate, Dave. Lance may be my Bro, but _you_ are my brother." It was true: as Lance had pointed out sometime in their second year at the Academy, she was the only girl he'd spent so much time with and not tried to close the deal with. It was then that they decided that they were Sis and Bro, and they always would be. But David? David had not only married Morgan, but he'd been the one to teach her to shoot.

Perhaps not blood related, but the next closest thing.

David dismantled his gun and prepared another. As he was cleaning it, he asked carefully, "Are you ready for your trip to Arus tomorrow?"

She nodded, following suit with her own weapon. She had her "weapons cache" - the knock-off VoltCom that had been confiscated from Wade after he was taken into custody; it was one of the many things she'd inherited along with the position of Space Marshal - so she didn't technically _need_ a gun in solid form, but she liked to use it anyway. "I am. I know that Allura wants to make the sale. She said it'll be good for the Alliance."

"Agreed." The gun dismantled, he picked up his next weapon. "Now, tell me something: are you _ready _to go to Arus? Mentally, anyway?"

She frowned. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

He sighed. "Lenora, I know everything," he admitted. "Between your husband, your Wifey, and the guys at Jeffrey's stag party, I know about everything that went on between you and Sven Holgersson. So let me clarify - are you mentally prepared to run into your old fiancé on Arus?"

She should have known that he would be looking out for her. He worried, after all, though he tried not to show it. But she knew that her husband had requested for David to watch out for her in his absence; the two men may only have been brothers-in-law by association, but they had a bond tighter than almost any pair of brothers she had ever seen. "Not really, no."

"I think you might want to get a handle on that before the wedding day." He held up his new weapon and pointed it at the target. "Because I think Jon might have a few not-so-nice words to say to him if he tries to pull anything."

"He won't."

"Who? Your husband or your ex?"

"Sven," she replied pointedly, "will not pull anything while we're both on Arus. Don't forget, his wife Romelle is not only the Alliance's royal ambassador from Planet Pollux, but she is also Allura's cousin, and she will be there as well. And I'm sure she'll be watching both of us."

"I hope you're right." He aimed and fired.

Bullseye.

* * *

Lotor didn't care that what he was doing could be considered breaking and entering. In his mind, Castle Doom was _his _home, and therefore nothing was off-limits to him. Not even Maahox's lab was sacred.

The King Robeast, which would probably never be finished in the occult scientist's opinion, was magnificent. It was much more powerful than his father's King Robeast - but then again, _that _mess had been engineered by Haggar. The old witch's essence in Haggarium had proven more effective than anything she'd ever created with her own hands and her seemingly-inept magic. _This _King Robeast was powerful enough to shatter Voltron.

It was his Haggarium armor, its thousands of spikes charged up with the old witch's essence. The suit had been enlarged and enclosed, complete with a cockpit that rivaled any in Voltron's lion ships. All Lotor had to do, much like Zarkon before him, was lower himself into the head of the robeast.

From there, he would do what his father had _not _done and destroy Voltron...but not before claiming the beautiful Arusian princess as his trophy and wife.

Rubbing his hands together, he ran through his plan to victory in his head. Soon. It would happen soon enough.


	14. Bad Romance

_Author's Note__: There's another vacation looming in my near future. And you all know what that means..._

_Usual disclaimer applies: I own nothing except my characters and planets._

_To bknbu - I __**am**__ back, Baby! You know how I try to weave so many different elements together in a chapter. Believe me, I know it feels like it's moving slowly right now, but just wait until things start heating up. And keep your eyes open for a certain red beanbag chair..._

_To FroofyB - I love the Lance/Ginger combination so much that I'm surprised it hasn't turned canon yet. ;) Trust me, I can't wait for the ring exchange either, and just as a spoiler, I highly doubt that either one of them will say no._

_To Smithy - Smithy! Good to hear from you! No, I believe Lotor has a one-track mind when it comes to Allura; he simply can't help but obsess about her. And in my stories anyway, it just might prove to be his undoing._

_To Wade Wells - Ah, our girl on the balcony. We know Pidge likes her, and we know Daniel wants her. Hmm, so much drama. It's getting like a soap opera in here, eh? Man, you've been a bad influence on me, and I mean that in the best way possible!_

_**Title Song: "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga (the **__**best**__** Gaga song, in my opinion)**_

* * *

The flight between Pollux and Arus was not a terribly long one, and Sven had no issues with navigating and piloting the small Polluxian cruiser. After all, it wasn't as though he'd never made the trip before.

As they were cleared for landing, he felt that familiar sense of dread and unease settle into the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure why he was so uneasy about this trip to Arus,since it was for such a happy occasion. On the other hand, he knew that Lenora and Erimar would eventually be joining them. Perhaps that was what weighed on him - how was he ever going to make it through this wedding with his _elskede_ and his wife's paramour there?

He didn't know why he was surprised, but he was not expecting the greeting party that awaited them when they stepped off their cruiser. Keith and Allura were there, of course, flanked by Lance and Larmina. Pidge and Hunk were there with Vince and Daniel. Coran stood in the background, watching as the scene in the hangar unfolded, while Nanny and the chambermaids Drea and Sofia rushed towards Romelle.

But not because they wanted to curtsy or help her with her luggage. No, they wanted the boy she held in her arms.

"Oh, there's my little man!" Nanny cooed, lifting a bewildered Erik to her bosom. She covered his face in kisses, and Allura couldn't help but feel nostalgic as she watched her former governess shower love upon the little prince. It hadn't been such a long time since Nanny was kissing her like that. Or Larmina. _And perhaps someday soon, _she thought with a secret smile, _my own children as well._

Drea and Sofia each leaned in to give the little boy a kiss on his cheeks. Erik, for his part, took the attention the same way any other toddler would - he looked over at his parents for reassurance before flipping out.

"It's okay, my boy," Romelle told him soothingly, blowing him a kiss. "Nanny is a friend of Mama's and Dada's."

Turning back to the older woman, Erik lifted his slate-blue eyes and offered a disarming smile. "I am pleased to meet you, thank you," he offered, unbelievably advanced - _and _charming - for a two-year-old. It was obvious that Sven's lessons on courtesy and etiquette had taken a strong hold.

"My! Such a clever, clever little man!" Nanny was delighted, the smile on her face widening to mirror Erik's. She turned her attention back to Romelle. "Oh, I do hope that you'll allow him to stay with me in the nursery I've set up. That is, of course, unless your own nursemaid will be joining us...?"

Romelle and Sven exchanged a quick glance. "No, Rosalie isn't with us right now," she replied honestly. "I gave her a few days off, but she will be arriving with Bandor and Emma later in the week."

Nanny nodded. "That will be perfect. Now I can have the little man all to myself for a few days." She turned to head out of the hangar, still carrying the boy in her arms. "I'll bring him to the nursery now. Drea! Sofia! Come with me, please."

Sven shot an almost panicked expression towards Lance, who instantly calmed him down with a wave of his hand. "Relax, Viking. Nanny would sooner see something bad happen to me than hurt Erik."

"Well, _that _doesn't instill a lot of confidence," Sven grumbled. "I think most people would say the same thing."

The greeting party laughed at the comment, and Romelle took her cousin's arm. "Come, Allura, we have so much to discuss and so much to get ready. Let's get some tea first, and then we'll be on our way." She looked over at Allura's niece. "Larmina? Will you be joining us as well?"

The cadet shot a desperate glance at Daniel and Vince before replying. "Um...I think..."

"I think she has lion practice with us," Hunk came to her defense.

The Polluxian princess shrugged, but nodded her acceptance. "Some other time, then. Come, Allura. Let's get started."

Gathering Allura with one arm, Romelle followed Nanny's footsteps and left the hangar, leaving the rest of the crew to fend for themselves. And in a way, the bride-to-be was glad. Not that she wanted to rehash the wedding plans, of course, but it _had _to be better than discussing Keith's bachelor party.

* * *

The fanfare was much less when she arrived. Her greeting party consisted of only Keith, Lance, and Larmina, and she was pleased enough with that. As she exited her small cruiser, a smile spread over her face.

Her favorite cadet ran towards her and leapt into her arms. "Len! You made it back!" Larmina dropped her head against the Space Marshal's shoulder. "I've missed you so much!"

Lenora kissed the top of the cadet's head. Larmina was taller than she was, but she'd always made up for her short stature with high heels. "My Mina. I've missed you too, more than you know." She didn't let go of the embrace until Lance cleared his throat.

"Hey, do I get a hug too, or what?"

"Of course you do." Finally letting go of the cadet, Lenora gathered the Red Lion pilot in her arms. "Oh, Bro. It's good to see you." She nuzzled her face into his neck. She'd never felt a romantic pull towards him, but she always felt better when he was around.

"Sis. It's good to see you, too. Tell me, you didn't happen to bring me a bottle of Johnny Walker, did you?" He shot her a cheesy grin with a wink and a snap, and she immediately rolled her eyes.

"Geez, Lance, leave her alone. That's Jeff's job, not hers." Keith broke up their embrace and moved in for a hug of his own. "Len, how do you feel about getting started right away? I can have a porter bring your bags to your room, and we can begin looking at land parcels within the next half hour."

Larmina's face fell. "But I wanted her to see my dresses! Trust me, I need all the feedback I can get."

Keith nodded in understanding. "How about I take her today, and you can have her tomorrow?" he bargained.

Lenora looked over at Lance. "They act like I'm a dog or something," she cracked.

Larmina let out an exaggerated sigh. _"Fine. _Just as long as you promise I can have her all to myself tomorrow."

"Then it's settled. Now, come on, Len, let's get moving."

Waving back at Lance and Larmina, Lenora followed Keith out of the hangar. She wasn't sure where they were headed, but she had a feeling that she would undoubtedly find the right parcel of land for the next Space Academy.

* * *

It didn't matter that she'd just landed, nor did it matter that she'd barely unpacked. Keith was like a child with a new toy, and he dragged Lenora to the site he'd procured especially for the purpose of becoming the grounds for the Arusian Space Academy. Allura trailed behind them, amused by their excitement.

They'd ridden horses to the site. They could have taken a fancy hovervehicle, but Keith preferred to get dirty. He knew that Lenora wouldn't mind, and Allura - well, she'd just have to get used to the idea that the love of her life was an explorer.

"So how did you get rid of your cousin?" he asked the princess in a whisper, not wanting the Space Marshal to hear. "I thought for sure that you'd be stuck with her for the rest of the day and would miss out on this."

Allura exhaled, relieved. "She told me that it was time to feed Erik. Say whatever you want about their marriage, but Sven and Romelle are both wonderful parents." She stopped her horse to put even more distance between them and Lenora. "I gave them two hours with Erik, so come on, we'd better make this fast."

"It _will _be fast," Keith reassured her. He leaned over to kiss her. "This parcel we've picked out is perfect for the Space Academy."

She looked on as his horse picked up its pace to join the Space Marshal. Trotting together, Keith and Lenora looked and acted like the old friends that they were. Smiling, Allura followed, pleased that her beloved was happy, and hoping with all of her might that the next ten days would go smoothly.

* * *

The day had been a wash for him, but he'd been expecting that. He'd expected that Nanny and the chambermaids would fall all over Erik, just as he'd expected that Romelle would want to talk with her cousin about the wedding plans and dresses, as well as give her advice on married life.

_Huh. As if she of all people should be giving advice on wedded bliss._

Sven had been unpacking their luggage trunks all afternoon. It was better that way. At least he'd be by himself and unable to cause trouble. That was a blessing; he could feel the infection creeping through his veins, and he knew that the slightest ill sentiment or careless wording would set it - and _him_ - off. So he didn't mind the menial tasks he had in front of him. It was better than losing himself to the Haggarium.

"Viking."

There was only one person who would address him so casually, and he smiled despite himself. Without looking up from the steamer trunks, he responded, "_Herregud_, Lance. What do you want from me now?"

The Red Lion pilot leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed. "Hey, it's good to see you, man. It's been a while. The last time I saw you, you were headed to Earth on the Explorer." He made a face. "Judging from the fact that you came here with Romelle, I take it that my Sis turned you down."

Sven scowled. "Thank you _so much_ for reminding me, Lance." He swore under his breath in Norwegian.

"Hey, man, you forget that I know the bad words in Norwegian, too. I use 'em myself from time to time." Lance entered the room, shutting the door behind him. "You probably never should've taught 'em to me at the Academy."

"I didn't. You picked them up."

"Not like you used them overly much or anything." Lance sat down on the bed and stared at his old roommate. "Seriously, it's not my fault that my Sis chose to stay with her husband over running off with you. It's too difficult, man. She's married, you're married, you have a kid. Dude, it's just too much."

Sven would have killed for a cigarette at that moment. "Why do you care?"

Lance looked down at the carpet as though weighing his options. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke up. "Because she's here, and I don't want things to be weird."

His knees nearly gave way underneath him. "What do you mean, she's here?"

"Just what I said. My Sis - she's here in the castle already. She's been with Keith all day, scouting sites for the new Arusian Space Academy." He shrugged. "I know that Crankypants didn't want me to tell you, but hey, man, I love you. I thought you deserved to know that Len was already on Arus. I mean, we all saw what happened the _last _time you two were on Arus at the same time and we didn't say anything."

The ball. The backless black dress. Sven clutched his head with both hands and squeezed his eyes shut. _"Åh, herregud. Min elskede."_

Lance watched intently as his old roommate tortured himself. "So it's just as bad as I thought. You're still in love with her. Geez, Viking, you're predictable." His face fell blank. "This is worse than watching a movie. At least in the movie, I can fast-forward to the ending. With you, I already _know _how things ended: ugly."

"I love her, Lance. You know that I can't be merely a friend to her. I love her too much for that."

"Great." The Red Lion pilot closed his eyes and lifted his fingers to his lips, miming the motions of smoking. "Gods, I wish I had a cigarette right now. It would do the both of us some serious good."

Sven smiled wryly. "Maybe Jeff and the boys will bring you some."

Lance arched an eyebrow. "Forget the cigarettes, man. If Aki's bringing me anything at all from Earth, it had better be my friggin' beanbag chair."

* * *

Prince Erimar entered the main hall of the Castle of Lions alone. It was very late, and besides, he didn't want any fuss to be made over him; Allura had been his childhood friend, and this visit to Arus was all about her. Besides, he didn't want Romelle to know that he had arrived. He was still bitter and angry about not being chosen, that she had opted to stay with her brute of a husband instead.

Allura met him there alone. She wore her golden hair long and loose past her shoulders, radiating beauty as she smiled at him. "Erim," she greeted him with open arms, "I'm so happy you're here. It's good to see you again."

"Allie," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing her temple, "I am so glad to be here. I am so happy for you. I know it's late, and I'm sure that your intended is asleep, but please let him know that I would like to congratulate him in person when he is available."

"I will, but I doubt he's sleeping. He's been with the Space Marshal all day, hashing out some business transactions. The two of them have been very busy day today."

At the mention of the Space Marshal, Erimar raised an eyebrow in interest. Things had suddenly taken a turn for the better. "Oh, I did not know that Space Marshal Stensson was already here, Allie. I would love to call on her when she's free."

"Of course. I'll let her know."

He grinned to himself as he thought about how things were falling into place. He would exact his revenge on Romelle, and at the same time, he would plunge the dagger into Sven's heart. When those two saw him with the Space Marshal, it would break both of them, and he relished the idea.

He might not have been able to convince either cousin to be his wife, but this would feel _almost _as good.


	15. Back to Black

_Author's Note__: So this update is coming to you from - once again - the Orlando area. I am stuck for a while, as my car battery died. Blech. So I've been doing a LOT of writing (and wine drinking, but that's a different story...). What does that mean? Maybe not much for the regularly scheduled programming, but a lot for my side projects!_

_To Smithy - Maybe a lot of people don't agree with us, but we both totally believe that Keith & Allura belong together. Although I enjoy reading stories with the Lance/Allura romantic pairing (Sally On, where the heck are you?), personally I will only write K/A._

_To Emie Mac - I promise you, Em, this story does not just end with a K/A wedding. There's still so much more drama to unveil. (BTW, I hope your review at work was OK, despite you spending so much time on your phone...my bad. Oops.)_

_To bknbu - Erimar isn't a bad guy, just a jilted one. Maybe, when all is said and done, whatever he does will put a positive spin on things. Yes! Voltron Force soaps in full effect!_

_To FroofyB - Don't worry, I would NEVER have Erimar ruin the wedding. Well...not for Allura and Keith, anyway._

_To Wade Wells - Lovey, ask and ye shall receive...on ALL fronts! (And how can we get some more Merla into this grand mess? I'm working on it.)_

_**Title Song: "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse (amazing, **__**amazing**__** song)**_

* * *

Larmina couldn't think of anything better than beginning her day on the castle's main balcony, performing a series of Sun Salutations before transitioning into some power yoga. Unless, of course, she was joined by the Space Marshal.

Two women and two yoga mats were sprawled out in the sunshine, the former in poses that they knew would garner snarky comments from Lance if he were watching them. "Remember," Lenora called out as they both held _ananda balasana, _a pose better known as Happy Baby, "there is no modesty in yoga."

"Uh...yeah." As Larmina reached for her toes, she realized that she'd been in this position before. In bed. With Daniel. _Ugh. Stop thinking about him, anyway. You're doing yoga with Len, and who knows when you'll have the chance for that again?_

Lenora suddenly broke the pose, rolled to her side, and propped her head up on her palm to look at the cadet. "Okay, spill it, Mina. Who are you thinking about?"

"Um...what?" Larmina tried to play stupid.

"Oh, Mina, yoga and sex are inextricably linked. I don't know if your aunt knows, but _I _know that you've been closing the deal with someone. I can tell. So, out with it. Who's the lucky guy sharing your bed?"

Stunned, the cadet let go of her feet, her arms and legs crashing back onto the yoga mat at the same time. "How did you know?" she asked quietly, turning her head to the side. "_Nobody _knows!"

"Hey, I didn't get to be Space Marshal just on my good looks, you know." Her face momentarily darkened. "And I didn't get it by sleeping my way to the top, as some of my peers - _and _Wade - suggested."

"Good. So let's talk about your love life instead of mine."

"Was it Pidge?"

Larmina's mouth dropped open. "No!" she cried out. "No, no, _no_! I know that's what everyone's gonna think, because my aunt paired us up as dates for her wedding. But it wasn't Pidge. It was Daniel."

"Ah. He was my next guess."

"You're not gonna say anything to my aunt, are you?"

Lenora winked. "Of course not. It's our secret, Mina. If you want your aunt to find out, you'll have to tell her yourself. And if you ever want to talk about it, I'm always here. Call me, write me, visit me, whatever. I will _always _make time for you."

"Thank you, Len."

"Now, let's mop up this session and get into corpse. We've got a busy day in front of us, if I remember correctly."

Larmina groaned as she shifted into _savasana_. "Two dresses, Len. They ganged up on me and got me to wear _two _dresses. Except I think the royal seamstress made me _four _dresses. I'm gonna try them all on for you, and you'll tell me which two are the best." She made a face. "I swear, I've got more dresses for this wedding than my aunt does. And she's the _bride_."

Holding her own pose, Lenora laughed. It would be a nice morning with the cadet. Despite what the girl thought, she looked beautiful in dresses, and she was sure they'd have a tough time narrowing the selections down to two. And now that the deal had been inked and a parcel of Arusian land now belonged to Galaxy Garrison, the hard stuff was over. It was time for fun now.

* * *

Justine rather liked Elnor. It was beautiful, first and foremost, boasting a springtime-like climate year-round. There was lots of green grass, blue skies, and placid waters. From the balcony view belonging to her suite at the Galactic Embassy, the planet looked like it should be on a postcard.

The lieutenant took sips of coffee between readying herself for the day. From her studies, she knew that the planet had been ruled by a monarchy up until several years ago, when the entire royal family was wiped out during the Zarkonian Wars. Once that happened, a ruling parliament had been put in place, and that was how it remained to this day. She just hoped that she could keep everyone's names straight and not look like a complete idiot.

She tried not to think about Byron, but as always, he inevitably crept into her thoughts. She was glad that she didn't miss him as much as she thought she would; further proof that they weren't right together. She missed having someone in her life, but she'd get over it eventually. After all, this position that the Space Marshal had granted her was the key to opening doors and meeting people.

The knock on the door came less than a minute after she had finished readying herself. _Wow,_ she thought. _I got ready just in time._

"Lieutenant Gartrell, are you ready?"

She didn't recognize the voice at the other side of the door, but it was okay. She was dressed and ready to go. After knocking back the last little bit of coffee in her mug, she replied, "I am," and opened the door.

There were two officials, a man and a woman, on the other side of the door. "Good morning, Lieutenant," the woman greeted her. "I am Prime Minister Eloisa Ames, and this is Prime Minister Charles Rosen. We'll be bringing you to meet with the other four Prime Ministers, as well as the rest of the parliament."

Justine's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Please forgive me if I sound disrespectful, but I was under the impression that there could only be _one_ Prime Minister at any given time in any parliament."

Eloisa smiled serenely, as though she encountered this sort of question regularly. "No, of course you don't sound disrespectful. Yes, we're aware that it is unusual to have six Prime Ministers, but we chose that number to honor the amount of royals slain during the Zarkonian Wars." She patted the lieutenant on the shoulder. "Perhaps I should take you to the Memorial Garden before facing the rest of Parliament."

Charles cleared his throat. "Elnor means to aid Galaxy Garrison," he added soothingly. "Of course, we are a very business-minded planet. We have never been part of the Galaxy Alliance, and we are hoping that if we offer to build a Space Academy, the Garrison will be willing to accept us into the Alliance."

Justine smiled. "Of course, Prime Minister. I don't see how that will be a problem. The Galaxy Alliance is always open to accepting new members. The more planets on the same side, the better chance we have of defeating those who would try to overthrow the natural order." _Like Lotor. And Wade. And Zarkon, if he were still alive._

The Prime Ministers led the lieutenant down to the first floor of the Royal Embassy. The lobby was exquisite, all shades of cream and muted gold on the wall, and pillars of gold and crystal cleverly placed to designate separate chambers. The floor was polished marble, a pale grey with swirls of crimson and black, and so shiny that Justine could see her reflection when she looked down.

She swallowed in horror as the realization dawned on her: the Galactic Embassy was fashioned after the Royal Palace.

No one had been allowed to enter the Royal Palace since "the slaughter," as the Elnorians referred to it as. It had been left untouched as a reminder to the planet's inhabitants: bloodied and crumbling. _Remember this and learn from it._

Outside, the Memorial Garden was in full bloom. The flowers were unlike any Justine had ever seen on Earth. The colors were vibrant and regal: blues, greens, purples. The air was thick was their perfume, and as she closed her eyes, she could only imagine that this was what heaven must smell like.

Eloisa gently tugged her elbow. "This way, Lieutenant."

Justine followed the Prime Ministers to a pond in the center of the garden. A rock formation with a cascading waterfall babbled quietly within it, agitating the water and causing gentle waves. _It's beautiful and sad, all at once. _Situated around the pond were six flat granite slabs, laid flat on the ground, reminiscent of grave markers.

The Prime Ministers allowed the lieutenant to pay her respects. She walked around to each marker, engraved with a name, and said a prayer at each one. _Queen Mother Ariadne Isabella. King Barquiel Aragrave. Queen Orianthe Boden. Prince Tristan Philippe. Princess Garcelle Aoline. Prince Macauley Finn. _Three generations of royalty, wiped out in a single moment.

"This is so sad," Justine bemoaned to the Prime Ministers once she'd finished. "I just don't understand. During the whole of the Zarkonian Wars, Planet Doom only sent one robeast to Elnor, and it didn't even destroy the planet, only the Royal Palace and the royal family." She shrugged. "It seems like such an extraordinary effort to assassinate six people."

Charles lightly placed his hand on her back. "True enough. However, it was the royals of this planet who attempted a rescue mission for one of Prince Lotor's captives. Prince Tristan's betrothed had been captured, and he, his father and his brother all led troops to the border of Doom's atmosphere. Zarkon's forces held them back, and as they returned to Elnor to regroup, the robeast came." He gazed down at Tristan's marker sadly. "After that, with no heirs to the throne, it was decided to rule the planet as a parliament."

"And speaking of which," Eloisa piped up, "we'd better get over there now. Lieutenant Gartrell, are you ready to negotiate on behalf of Galaxy Garrison?"

She nodded. "With pleasure. Though I'm not sure how much we'll need to do in terms of negotiations. After all, we _want _Elnor in the Alliance." She shot the Prime Ministers a smile, and was pleased when they returned the gesture.

As they began to walk away from the Memorial Garden, Justine asked one more question regarding the slain royal family. "Prime Ministers, it's not my intention to pry, so if you'd prefer not to answer the question, then just ignore me. But...whatever happened to Prince Tristan's betrothed?"

Charles closed his eyes. "She was beaten, raped, and sent to her death in the Pit of Skulls. Fortunately for her, she was rescued by the Voltron Force, and eventually went on to help them defeat Doom."

"That's incredible. Who is this miracle of nature?"

"Princess Romelle of Planet Pollux."

* * *

Though they had already eaten breakfast, Allura was hardly ready to begin her day. She had promised to do all of the last-minute wedding details with her cousin, and she wanted to look her best while doing it. Lately, Romelle looked so beautiful - _Motherhood has definitely agreed with her _- which made the Arusian princess feel like the ugly duckling in comparison.

As she sat in front of her vanity, brushing out her long blond mane, she heard a knock on the door. Standing, she moved to the control panel to punch in the code and allow the door to slide open. Romelle was already there, eager to begin the day.

"What do you mean, you're not ready yet?" she cried out.

Allura laughed. "I'm not even close. Here, sit on the bed and keep me company while I do my make-up and get dressed."

With an exaggerated sigh, Romelle flopped onto the mattress. She looked wonderful, clad in a knee-length dress with short sleeves, a scooped neckline, and a full skirt with hidden pockets. The pale blue shade of the dress and the bright cobalt hue of her ballet flats set off her vivid aquamarine eyes, making her look even more beautiful than usual.

"That's a great color on you, Romelle."

"Thanks! I've been learning from Emma - she's the one who inspired me to have these dresses made. Oh, Allie, I can't wait for you to spend some time with her and really get to know her. She's wonderful, truly the sister I never had."

"Well. That's so nice." Allura turned back to her reflection in the mirror. What on Arus was she going to do _now_? Romelle looked absolutely stunning - there was no way she could compete with her. Worse yet, they were supposed to make a trip to the royal seamstress so she could try on her wedding gown for the last time. She'd promised her cousin that she could see her in it. But would she still feel like the ugly duckling next to the Polluxian princess?

Confused, she began to paint concealer under her tired emerald eyes.

Romelle waited impatiently as Allura finished her make-up and dressed. She chose to wear something easy - a white sheath dress with a sapphire-blue hem. For her feet, she chose nude high-heeled sandals, informal and comfortable. It help her to feel beautiful and bridal, while at the same time paying homage to Blue Lion.

_Blue Lion._

As they began the short trek to the royal seamstress, Allura thought about her role as a Voltron Force member. In her gut, she knew that her piloting days were coming to an end. Arus needed her, but now they needed her as queen, not as Voltron's right leg. And besides, Larmina was eighteen now. It was time for her niece to step in and serve her planet the way her aunt had for so many years.

"You're quiet, Allie," Romelle noted as they finally descended upon the seamstress' cottage. "Are you nervous about getting married? Don't forget, I was nervous for an entire month before I married Sven, but as soon as I said my vows, it all disappeared."

It took everything in Allura's power to keep from rolling her eyes. She even bit her tongue in an effort to keep her mouth shut.

It was all for naught. As soon as they approached the cottage, the door swung open, and Larmina stepped out. She looked over her shoulder, calling back, "Thanks again!" to the seamstress. She then shot a grin at the person behind standing behind her. The person who'd accompanied her to the final fitting.

The Space Marshal.

Allura drew a quick breath.

Larmina drew the same quick breath when she faced forward and saw the two princesses standing in front of her. "Aunt Allura, good morning. And..." Her voice trailed off as she nervously eyed Romelle.

Lenora stopped short behind the cadet, quietly muttering something under her breath in Norwegian.

On hearing those words, Romelle's spine stiffened. She'd heard them before...out of her husband's mouth. Immediately, she knew who the woman with Larmina was. _So __this__ is the woman he loves._

Allura drew a deep breath as her cousin stepped forward. "Good morning, Larmina," Romelle greeted the cadet brightly. She then set her gaze on the woman behind her. "Who is your friend with you?"

Aquamarine eyes locked on chocolate-brown ones. _Well, there's no getting out of this one, _Lenora thought. She, too, knew exactly who the woman addressing her was. She'd expected to run into her at some point during this trip to Arus. She just hadn't expected it to be _now._

"Princess Romelle," she offered, extending her hand, "I'm pleased to meet you. Officially."

Allura and Larmina watched incredulously as Romelle calmly took Lenora's hand in hers and shook it. "No, no, the pleasure is _mine_, Space Marshal Stensson." She looked over the woman dressed in black yoga pants and a sea-green tank top, with her thick chestnut hair in a low ponytail tossed over her shoulder. "It's an honor to meet you, for too many reasons to count."

Lenora swallowed. "Truly, my lady. I feel the same. I trust you will be joining me at our next Council Meeting, yes?"

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of missing it."

"Very well, then." Lenora offered a genuine smile, then released Romelle's hand. "I will let you get back to what you were doing, my dear." She looked over to Allura. "Have a good time, the both of you." Then, to Larmina, she requested, "Come with me, Mina. I think we have a workout session to get to."

The cadet's eyes glowed in a mixed bag of emotions. "Sure thing, Len," she replied, casting a dubious glance in her aunt's direction. "Let's go get our groove on."

With a final smile and a wave of her hand, Lenora walked off, the cadet in pursuit. Allura wordlessly grabbed her cousin and pulled her through the open cottage door. "And this would be the royal seamstress," she introduced them, though again, it was all for naught.

It didn't matter that she was trying on her wedding gown for her cousin. Romelle's mind was a million miles away, focused both on the Space Marshal and why her husband preferred her over his wife.


	16. Light Em Up

_Author's Note__: A long time ago, my friend __**Pinky Starflower**__ (the mastermind behind Romelle's position as the Alliance's Polluxian ambassador) wrote to me, wanting to know what would happen when Romelle and Lenora eventually ran into each other. At the time, I distinctly remember answering, "Not gonna happen." Um...as you might have noticed, I have retracted my statement entirely. And that is all I will say about THAT._

_To bknbu - Yes, Allie __is__ beautiful! As for Len speaking in Norwegian, well, it felt kind of appropriate for the situation. (And yes, you of ALL people would know how I feel about the dynamics of the Sven/Romelle relationship...)_

_To Emie Mac - Hooray, I'm glad you still have a job! However, if the Sven/Len/Romelle/Hawkins/Erimar/Tristan sextangle (fitting word, eh?) thingie has anything to say about it, you won't be keeping said job for long..._

_To Smithy - I also prefer a Lance/Allura friendship; I think those two have a great dynamic when romance is removed from the equation! As for Lotor, I promise you, he's got his coming. Question is, who's the real evil mastermind on Doom: Lotor, Wade, or Maahox?_

_To Wade Wells - You're right, both Len and Romy got sucker-punched in the gut on way too many levels. I'd like to think that they're above cattiness and can at least work out something cordial. But then again... (And I figured out how to get a little more Merla into this! Keep your eyes open.)_

_**Title Song: "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" by Fall Out Boy**_

* * *

Keith turned in for the night early. In the privacy of Allura's quarters, he stripped his clothes off until he was completely undressed, and then stepped into the shower. The streaming hot water felt terribly good on his body.

He didn't know why he was so tired and sore. Yes, they'd held lion practice earlier, but it hadn't been anything more strenuous than usual. Maybe it was the tension surrounding the castle. There were worries that Lotor could strike at any moment. Even more personal, there was a fear that something ugly would erupt between Sven, Romelle, and Lenora that might put a damper on the wedding festivities. Or, even worse, it could simply have been because he was getting older, and his body just couldn't handle all of the torment he put it through as easily as he used to.

In that way, he was jealous of his soon-to-be wife. Allura had agreed with him and Coran that it would be better for her to serve her planet as queen, rather than as pilot of Blue Lion. It was a difficult, sad decision for her to come to, but she agreed with it nonetheless. Once they were married, she would turn the role over to her niece. Not only did it mean that she could focus all of her attention on her people, but it also meant that she wouldn't have to come to bed sore and injured from practice or combat.

"What? Are you hiding from me now?"

Despite the deafening pounding of the water from the six showerheads, Keith could hear her voice. From behind, she grabbed him, placing a wet kiss on the back of her shoulder as she did. Running her hands over his abdomen, she pressed her wet, bare skin into him. "Come on, I know that the great Keith Kogane only takes a shower at night if he's either mulling over a problem in his head, or if he's hiding. So which is it?"

He grinned. He rather enjoyed showering with Allura. Turning to face her, he planted an equally-wet kiss on her forehead as he answered, "Mulling over problems, as usual. Just small ones, though. Nothing terrible."

"Ah. Well, if it helps put you at ease, Chief, then you'll be happy to know that Pidge is going into town to pick up the final pieces for the security upgrades tomorrow. So at least there's one thing you don't have to worry about." She nuzzled into his embrace, her wet hair plastered to the length of her back.

Keith felt a wave of pleasure course through the length of his body as his fiancée rested her chin on his shoulder. Quickly, with one arm still wrapped around her, he reached for the control panel to shut off the water. "I think we're done here, Love," he informed her.

"We are?" She shot him a mischievous grin.

"Absolutely." Then, moving in for a quick kiss, he picked the princess up and carried her back into the bedroom and over to her bed, placing her down carefully on top of the mattress before joining her.

* * *

By the time Romelle finally returned to the room from the nursery, Sven had prepared for bed. Dressed in his pajamas, he'd already settled against the pillows with reading material in his hands. He glanced up at her and smiled as she closed the door behind her.

"Did Erik go down well?" he asked. It had been her turn to put him to bed.

"Of course he did. He's the best." With a sigh, she loosed her hair from its confining bun, and unzipped her pale blue dress. "I had an interesting morning, _min mann_. I went with Allura to try on her wedding gown for the final fitting, and Larmina was leaving the royal seamstress at the same time."

"Oh?"

"Yes. She was with her..._friend."_ The Polluxian princess paused, allowing her dress to slip off her shoulders and to her feet. Fetching the garment and hanging it up in the closet, she kicked off her shoes and joined her husband in the bed, clad only in her undergarments. "I met your _elskede _this morning, _min mann_."

Sven inhaled sharply. _Romelle met Lenora?_ he thought with worry. "And what happened, _min kone_?"

"Nothing of note." She shook her head, leaning into her husband for a kiss. "We introduced ourselves officially, we shook hands. Like I said, nothing of note." She straddled Sven's waist. "Just so you know...I get it. I can see why you love her so much. She's absolutely beautiful."

He closed his eyes. Yes, he thought Lenora was beautiful - even now, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen - but it wasn't her looks that attracted him to her. It was just...her. Lenora's _essence_, her being, her story drew him to her like the proverbial moth to a flame. "It has nothing to do with her looks, _min kone_. After all, one can argue that _you _are simply stunning as well."

She smiled. "That's one of the nicest things you've told me recently."

"It's the truth." His eyes twinkled playfully. "What, are you trying to say that I don't tell you nice things?"

She offered a soft laugh, then planted her lips on his. "It's getting better," she reminded him, taking the book out of his hands and placing it on the nightstand. She then took his face and her hands and kissed him again, more forcefully this time. "I promise, it's getting better."

* * *

Shooting practice.

Lance had never been one to talk about his feelings. He either took to steamrolling them under a physical activity, like shooting, or drowning them in an appropriate alcoholic substance. Johnny Walker, Ciroc vodka, Blue Lion cocktails at Heaven Bar - heck, even that God-awful _akevitt _that his old roommate seemed to favor would work in a pinch.

Hence the shooting practice.

He stood a respectable distance behind the target, his VoltCom drawing out miniature versions of Voltron's Magma Pistols. He had excellent aim and was one of the best shooters in the whole of the Galaxy Alliance - though, sadly, not _the _best. As much as he hated to admit to it, that title belonged to none other than David Rackens.

_Stupid Brit._

He had only fired half a clip when he heard footsteps behind him. They weren't Hunk's or Keith's, that was for sure. They could have belonged to Allura or Pidge, they were so light, but he knew better. He knew who was there. "Sis."

"Bro." Lenora stood next to him and snapped her fingers. Immediately, a pistol straight from her makeshift VoltCom appeared in her hand. "Want some company?"

"Only if it's you."

"Well then, looks like it's your lucky night."

He fired at the target. "I'll say."

She fired at the same target, decimating his bullet hole with hers.

"Oh, sure!" he teased, smacking her rear end. "Only your first bullet, and you're already making me look bad. Don't tell anybody - you keep this up, and they might fire me from the Voltron Force."

"Doubtful you'll ever get fired, Lance." She rubbed her behind. "And thanks for that. I rather enjoyed it."

"Huh. Of _course _you did. You've never experienced a good spanking by yours truly." He shot again, this time making a perfect circle of bullet holes surrounding the original. "So, how did your day go? I haven't seen you since breakfast this morning. Did you do anything good?"

"Funny you should ask." She closed her chocolate-brown eyes and, when she reopened them, snapped her fingers again. This time, the pistol disappeared and was replaced by a Norwegian double-ended throwing axe. "I met Sven's..._wife_...this morning."

Pausing, he lowered his pistols and looked over at his Sis. "Oh, boy. How did _that _go?"

"Um...I suppose it went well enough." She hurled the throwing axe at the target, cleanly severing it in half. He glanced at it with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing. "She was very cordial and polite. Pleasant, too. It's easy to see that she's well-versed in all manners of protocol." She swallowed. "_And _she's beautiful on top of being proper. She's just...not what I expected, I guess."

"Come on, Len, _don't_..." Lance's voice trailed off. What exactly did one say to someone in this situation? He had worked with Lenora's husband for four years while Wade was in charge of the Garrison, and he'd found Commander Hawkins to be one of the most honorable men he'd ever known. But then again, Sven had been his roommate and best friend. "Did you know I tried to talk him out of getting married to her?"

"You did _not_." She studied his face, searching his hazel eyes. He wasn't lying. "Oh, gods. You really did, didn't you?"

"He was despondent over you. I told him that Romelle wouldn't make him happy in the long run, but that stubborn Viking wouldn't listen to me. He went ahead and married her anyway." He shrugged. "Though I can guarantee he never expected to see _you _again."

"You're not helping, McClain."

He exhaled. "Sorry. You're right." He aimed one pistol at the upright half of the target she'd demolished. "You know what? I really need a cigarette right now. You want one?"

"I don't smoke."

"That's right. I knew that." Grabbing her hand, he dragged her off to the seating area, and they both plopped into chairs. "You know, you're tougher than Sven is. If he and I had been talking about _you_ and I offered _him _a cigarette, he would've jumped at it."

As she watched him pull a cigarette out of the half-full pack, Lenora smiled a secret smile. "Hey Lance, did you happen to check out the parcel of land that the Garrison purchased for the Arusian Space Academy?"

He nodded. "Yeah, actually, that's a really good spot for a Space Academy to go up. When Keith told me about the sale, he took me by the parcel to get my approval." He held his unlit cigarette in his hand. "Man, Keith is gonna have his hands full after he gets married. He'll be running the Voltron Force, he'll be helping Allura rule the planet, he'll be in charge of the Arusian Space Academy." He shook his head, a wicked grin on his face. "Better him than me, I always say." He moved to light the cigarette.

"Lance...it won't be Keith."

"Huh?"

"Keith - he won't be Headmaster of the Arusian Space Academy."

Lance paused mid-light. "Does he know this yet?"

"No. No one does. I haven't told anyone yet, but I've already chosen the three Headmasters for Tokyo, Oslo _and _Arus." Glee lit up her face like she was a little kid on Christmas morning. "Lance, it's you. It has to be you." She motioned to his still-unlit cigarette. "Go ahead, light it up."

He was stunned. "Len, did you just ask me to be Headmaster of the Arusian Space Academy?"

"I did - and I hope you'll accept. I wasn't kidding when I said it has to be you. I _need _it to be you, Lance. You'll run the place better than any other member of the Voltron Force will, and besides, I trust you with my own life."

Lance took a deep tobacco inhale. "Keith will do a better job than I will."

"And you just said it yourself, Keith will have so much on his plate after he gets married, he won't be able to run the Academy effectively. You'd put your heart and soul into it."

"Um...did you forget about Voltron? I pilot Red Lion, remember?"

She nodded. Lance could tell that the Space Marshal had obviously thought everything through. "Of course I didn't forget that, McClain. But I don't expect the Arusian Space Academy to be going up for a few more years - I'd like to finish Tokyo and Oslo first. By the time the first class is enrolled here, we'll all be pushing forty."

"Hey, I might still want to be a Voltron pilot at forty."

She rolled her eyes. "_Or_ you might like to have a nice, stable home life and a cushy, well-paying Alliance job. Your call. Just think about it. You don't have to answer right away. Take some time to mull it over."

"Huh." He finally lit up his cigarette and took a long drag. "Wow, Sis, I gotta say, you caught me off-guard tonight. That's a pretty tough thing to do."

"Ah. Then I scored bonus points."

"That you did." He took another puff, then stamped the cigarette out with his foot. Apparently, he hadn't wanted it as much as he thought. "Come on. It's time to get you upstairs and to bed. I don't want Hawkins jumping down my throat because I didn't take care of his wife."

"Just as long as you promise me you'll think about it, Lance."

"I promise." But even as the words rolled off his tongue, he knew he didn't need to think about it. He was going to say yes. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and besides, it would mean that he could still stay on Arus and be close to Voltron and Red Lion.

And if it meant that he would actually have a shot at a real life with Ginger, then he was willing to do anything.


	17. Fall Into the Sky

_Author's Note__: We're getting so close to the royal wedding now, and I know everyone's excited. Me too! But there's still a few more hurdles for our gang to jump through, and that's all I can say. But I will add that __**Smithy **__will probably want to pay close attention._

_As always, I own nothing except my characters._

_To Emie Mac - Yeah, Keith totally needs to slow down; that's the reason he's so sore and exhausted. Let me know when you open that bakery. I'm putting in my order for a dozen salted caramel cupcakes now. _

_To bknbu - I bet you of all people were shocked by the Sven & Romelle scene! What can I say? Maybe editing your fabulous story has rubbed off on me! ;)_

_To Smithy - In this story, I put the crew at roughly 33, with the exception of Pidge at 29 and Allura at 30. And my guess is that you look FABULOUS! I bet you go out tonight and get carded._

_To FroofyB - Believe it or not, the wedding of the century isn't too far off. And, oh, the dresses...my head is swimming with all of the dresses...I'm still narrowing my final choices down, but trust me when I say that they will NOT disappoint!_

_To Cubbie - My favourite Down-Under gal! You picked up this fic at the right time...opened with a steamy K/A scene AND the wedding is in the foreseeable distance. Hooray! I love my K/A fans!_

_To Wade Wells - As soon as I wrote the K/A scene, I said to myself, "Wade's gonna do a happy dance (and then get a Bellini)!" As for our friends Sven and Romelle, let's just say that this is simply the calm before the storm...and then I go and screw everything up for all of them again._

_**Title Song: "Fall Into the Sky" by Zedd ft. Ellie Goulding**_

* * *

Black coffee. Perimeter scan. Larmina and Lenora doing early-morning yoga together on the balcony. _Yes, _Keith thought satisfactorily. _Everything is as it should be. No, wait a second...something's missing..._

"Good morning, Captain Crankypants."

_Ah. __Now__ everything is as it should be. _"Good morning, Lance. Did you get your coffee?"

"You bet." The Red Lion pilot slugged back his cream- and sugar-laden coffee. He was practically bursting with excitement; he'd barely slept the night before, thinking about how Lenora had chosen him to be the future Headmaster of the Arusian Space Academy. He wanted so badly to tell Keith, but he decided that he would hold off until after the wedding. After all, he didn't want to steal his friend's big moment.

He'd just have to wait for Ginger. He would tell her instead.

Maybe that was the way it needed to be. After all, wasn't one's partner supposed to be the person who heard the news first? And Lance was sure that once he'd slipped that garnet-and-diamond ring - which was _not _an engagement ring, he would need to specify - she would automatically become his other half for life.

_Besides, Crankypants over there confides less in me and more in Allura every day. I guess it's equal opportunity, then._

Suddenly, he was jerked out of his thoughts by Keith's laugh. "Wow, Lance, what's going on in that pretty head of yours? You haven't made one mention of Len and Larmina in Down Dog." He smirked as he knocked back the rest of his coffee. "Not even _one_."

"Geez, Keith," he cracked, "have I ever told you how much I love it when you call me _pretty_?"

The Voltron captain began to laugh hysterically. "Gods, Lance, that's why I love you. I never know what'll come out of your mouth next."

"You _love _me? You actually _love_ me?" Lance's hazel eyes grew wide with mischief; he enjoyed tormenting his fearless leader a little _too _much. "Ooh, wait until I tell Allura. She'll have some stiff competition from me, man."

From behind them, they heard an amused snort. "I'm sorry, did I intrude on anything?"

Turning around, they noticed Sven in Castle Control, carrying a wide-awake Erik on his shoulders. Two matching pairs of slate-blue eyes stared back at them. "_Herregud_, Lance, you would have thought that after all the time we spent living together, I'd mean something more to you."

"Hey, there's plenty of love in my heart for _all_ of you - Erik too," Lance smirked, turning his face back to the viewing screen. Sipping his coffee, he watched the monitor intently as the girls slid back into something called _Downward Dog Split with Hip Opener._ "Wow," he remarked casually, watching Lenora's backside, "check out how hot my Sis looks." Then, turning back to Sven, he commented, "Too bad she didn't practice yoga while she was dating _you_."

Sven's expression fleetingly grew saddened before it turned blank. He knew that she was in the castle, but he hadn't seen his _elskede _until that moment. Watching her flow through the movements, dressed in black yoga pants and a royal-blue tank top, her fingers and toes painted with black nail polish, he was absolutely blown away.

Her skin glistening with sweat, her chestnut hair loose and tumbling down to the yoga mat, her muscles taut as she supported her body weight...it was overwhelming.

"Geez," the Red Lion pilot continued, "that Hawkins is one lucky devil."

"Lucky devil!" Erik mimicked Lance from atop his daddy's shoulders.

Sven shot a poisonous glance at his old roommate. _"Lance! Herregud_, this boy picks up on _everything_ - you've got to watch what you say in front of him." Looking up at his son, he told him, "Don't say that in front of Mama, got it?"

"Okay, Dada, thank you."

Keith smiled broadly. "I love that kid." Quickly, he hit the switch for perimeter scan to move along to the next screen. As much as she didn't mean to, Lenora was disrupting the morning and wreaking internal havoc on Sven. "So, what do you two have planned for the day? I know that Allura is going into town with Pidge and Vince to pick up those last supplies for the security systems."

"I'm hanging with my little man," Sven told them.

Lance ducked behind his mug of coffee. "Well, gee, I'm sort of in a funny predicament. I was talking with Len last night, and she told me that Prince Erimar had requested to spend some time with her. Thing is, she doesn't want to be alone with him - I mean, she barely knows the dude - so she asked if I'll join them. So I've got a lunch date. More like a double date, I guess. But that's it."

Keith imperceptibly arched his eyebrow at Lance, too afraid to even move his head in the slightest direction of the Norwegian. "Thanks for that, Lance." Clearing his throat, he added, "It's good that you two will be around. With Allura, Pidge and Vince out of the castle, I'll need everyone I have on stand-by."

"Why?" Sven asked. "Do you think something's going to happen?" He tried his best to look nonchalant. He didn't want his friends to know that the thought of Romelle's lover wanting to spend time alone with his _elskede_ made him want to rip the prince's head clean off his body.

Keith shook his head. "No."

"He's just over-protective of his woman," Lance chimed in dismissively. "He likes to have everyone on stand-by in the remote chance that something bad happens to her and she needs rescuing. Not that she ever really _needs_ to be rescued, of course - Allura is one tough cookie."

Keith darted a murderous glare at his second-in-command.

Sven nodded briefly, then looked back up at his son. "Well, what do you think, Erik? Do you want to go running around the courtyards? Or how about in Nanny's garden? There's a lot of room for you to play there."

"Lucky devil!" Erik cried out in reply.

"_Herregud, _McClain..." Sven's irritated voice trailed off into a flurry of Norwegian words that they were pretty sure even Lenora might not recognize. He spun around and headed out of Castle Control, most likely in the direction of Nanny's garden.

"Hey," Lance called out after him, "it's a phrase the kid was bound to pick up sooner or later!"

There was no response from the Norwegian as he stormed through the doors, his son still atop his shoulders. He seemed furious, and if his old roommate could be completely honest, he swore he saw flashes of purple behind his eyes. _Is that what I think it was? Was that the Haggarium infection rearing its ugly head again?_

Keith shrugged. "What do you think _that _was about?"

"Len? Erimar? It could be a bunch of different things. Who's to say for sure, really?" Lance jammed his hands in his pockets. He sure hoped that, for Keith's sake, the wedding would go off without a hitch. Because if what had just transpired in front of them was any indication of how future events would unfold, then there was going to be some serious drama in store for them.

* * *

"You got your VoltCom, Vince?"

The cadet looked over at his mentor. He knew that Pidge wouldn't be carrying his VoltCom on him for their trip into town - for one, he and Allura were dressed in civilian clothes, and for another, the merchant they were dealing with was extremely skittish from the fallout of the Zarkonian Wars and might not make the sale if he knew that they had weapons on them. But Vince? Though the cadets were somewhat well-known on Arus, they weren't regarded as highly - or properly - trained. Their VoltComs were little more than a joke to the average Arusian.

Therefore, it was safe for Vince, who would merely be observing the transaction and not taking part in it, to carry his. Besides, the cadet wasn't known for weaponry. His VoltCom had nothing to do with hand-to-hand combat and everything to do with unlocking the mighty robot's secrets.

"You bet," he replied, holding up his forearm for emphasis. "Where's Allura so we can get this show on the road?"

"I'm right here, Vince."

Pidge and Vince both turned their heads in the direction of Allura's voice. The princess had insisted that she would going into town with them; according to her, it would be her last venture out of the castle before she got married and was crowned queen. Though they - along with Keith, Coran, Nanny, Drea, Sofia, and the rest of the Voltron Force - had tried to convince her otherwise, she had made up her mind and would not change it.

Somehow, the Green Lion pilot had a feeling that Keith would be monitoring them like a hawk while they were out.

Vince's eyes grew round as he stared at the princess. Allura was dressed regally in a pale blue dress, silk with a deep V-neck, cap sleeves, and a softly flared skirt which ended right above her knees. Her feet were encased with high round-toed patent leather heels in a subtle nude shade, and her glorious golden hair tumbled past her shoulders, adorned with the same tiara she wore into battle.

"Lookin' good, Princess," he stammered.

Both Pidge and Allura laughed gently at the cadet's discomfort. "It's okay, Vince, really," she reminded him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Now that he was eighteen, he'd grown in height; had Allura not been wearing such high heels, he would have dwarfed her considerably. "Get used to this. Once I become queen, you'll see me dressed up a lot more often."

"That makes me nervous."

"Well then, we'll make this quick." Allura winked. "Come on, boys - the sooner we get into town, the sooner we can get this part and the sooner you can complete the castle defense upgrades. I know _I'm _sick of hearing Keith complain about how it's not finished yet, so I can't even imagine how sick of it _you _are."

"Eh," Pidge shrugged, "I just remind him that he's Crankypants, that's all."

Exiting the room, they moved down the hallway to say good-bye before heading into town.

* * *

It was a wonder they hadn't seen him or picked up any trace of him. The stealth mode on his armor was good, better than he'd given its creator credit for. He made a mental note of that - he'd have to be nicer once he returned home.

_There she is._

When he set his sights on Princess Allura, his entire being was engulfed by emotions. _She looks so beautiful. She __will__ be mine, I will make sure of that today._ A devilish smile passed over his pale lips. _And my father said I was a fool..._

Quietly, he stalked her. He was decidedly displeased about the fact that she was being escorted into town by two members of the Voltron Force. _Well, at least they're the team runts. I could destroy both of them with a single blow._ He looked them over carefully; the Green Lion pilot, much like the princess, was without his VoltCom. He'd done enough research to know that, although the tall, lanky cadet carried his VoltCom with him, there was no weapon tied to it.

_Walking. Why are they __walking__? Whose brilliant idea was that, to let the princess out on foot, nearly unguarded and without weapons? Despite how stupid that move was, I should thank them all for it. It makes things that much easier for __me__._

He followed, trailing behind them so as not to draw any attention to himself. He'd worked too hard for this moment. He'd been here countless times before and had failed; he wasn't about to let that happen again. This time, he would be victorious. _This _time, he would have his princess and destroy the Voltron Force once and for all.

The feeling was heavy in his chest.

The trees thinned out, and they made their way into the bustle of town. It was a beautiful day, and the street vendors were out in full force. It seemed as though the entire town was outside, hawking wares. _Perhaps it's a street fair. Oh well, it doesn't matter how many witnesses there are. All the better that the Arusians should know that their champion is about to be destroyed._

The moment was perfect - Allura was laughing, Vince was distracted, Pidge was greeting a vendor. It was then that he made his move, springing on them from the sky and knocking both the pilot and the cadet into vendor booths.

She gasped in horror. _"Lotor!"_

The devilish grin crept across his lips again as he encircled her swan-like neck with one hand. "My Allura. You look radiant as always." In a swift movement, the Drule king jerked his captive forward and sealed his mouth over hers. She tasted delicious, like berries and perfume. _Mmm. The last woman I kissed was Christiane...__his__ sister. But Allura tastes sweeter._

Her emerald eyes nearly bugged out of her skull as she fought against him.

Suddenly, he felt something crash into his side, knocking the wind out of him. Pidge, in a blind rage, had rammed himself into Lotor, body-checking the king to get him away from the princess. It worked, but only temporarily, and he was rewarded with a swift backhand across the face.

_"Pidge! _Oh, gods in heaven!" Allura cried out as she watched her friend go sailing back into the vendor's booth.

By this point, the townspeople were frantic. There was mass panic; the people scurried away from the scene like the rats they'd emulated for so many years. She couldn't blame them for their want to go into hiding. She wanted to run, too. _If only I had my VoltCom..._

"Get down and _stay _down, you arrogant brat!" Lotor screeched as Pidge was knocked unconscious.

Allura attempted to run over to her friend, but was held back by the Drule king's powerful grip. From behind her, he wrapped one arm around her neck in a chokehold, the other around her torso to control her own fighting limbs. "Oh, no, my princess," he breathed into her ear, his lips grazing her neck in the process. "You're not going anywhere. It's time for your miserable planet and its mighty robot to finally fall."

Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Vince on the ground, shaking his head in a daze. He somehow managed to hit the panic button on his VoltCom before passing out. And then, with Lotor's arm still around her neck, her world slowly faded to black.


	18. Skyfall

_Author's Note__: Yes, the K/A action has begun! I won't spoil it for you with anything else..._

_To Cubbie - I'm definitely not the first (and I certainly won't be the last) author to have Lotor kidnap Allura and other VF members, but for some reason, it never gets old, does it?_

_To Petronille - Life-ruiner indeed! When will he ever learn? (BTW, I am in Sophie withdrawal - not to put pressure on you or anything...) :D_

_To Smithy - I KNOW you loathe & despise Lotor. Which is why I'm keeping you in mind when I write these chapters!_

_To bknbu - Nope...can't have a good K/A action sequence without an equally good kidnapping plot. As for Lance & Ginger...well, I'll just say, stock the liquor cabinet with Ciroc! (Or, in this case, Bombay Sapphire. Which I've actually never tried but will remedy this weekend.)_

_To Wade Wells - Awesome? Lovey, you ain't seen nothing yet. (And how many more days 'til bellinis?)_

_**Title Song: "Skyfall" by Adele**_

* * *

Lance was pretty sure that he was in one of David Rackens' seven hells. And he wasn't even that fond of David Rackens, so that was _really _saying something.

"So, Mrs. Hawkins," Erimar began, holding up his empty wineglass, "may I tempt you with sharing a bottle with me? I do find it more economical to order wine by the bottle than by the glass whenever I'm in a restaurant."

Lenora shot a wary glance at her Bro. "That's very true, Prince Erimar. I completely agree with you." She lifted up her glass of club soda. "However, I'd like to save the alcoholic beverages for dinner. Over the course of my years as Space Marshal, I've learned that the best time to become inebriated is right before bed."

Lance snorted as Erimar stifled a laugh. "That's a fascinating observation," the prince offered, glancing at the wineglass in his hand, "but if it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to have wine with my lunch."

"Of course." Lenora sipped from her glass. "Please don't let me stop you."

The prince skeptically eyed the Red Lion pilot; he vaguely remembered drinking shots of Arusian vodka with him at Allura's ball. That would have been the ball when Lenora wore that backless dress and Voltron's captain pledged his undying devotion to the princess. Why would that man now be sipping a virginal glass of juice in solidarity with the Space Marshal?

When the waitress came around to take their food order, Erimar decided not to cave and ordered a glass of dry Arusian red wine. "Just one," he told Lenora with a wink. "Besides, I consider myself on holiday. Parliament can run Tyvel just fine without me."

"I know, the proverbial figurehead." Lenora nodded. "Often, I think that the Garrison would run just fine without me. My First Officer can run the whole show in my absence. And when she joins us here on Arus for the wedding, my two Majors, Don Brown and Jason Stebbins, will be able to fill in perfectly well."

"Yeah, but they're not as cute as you are," Lance interjected.

"I concur," Erimar agreed. "And I've not even met them."

The waitress returned with the wine, and the prince clinked his glass against the Space Marshal's as well as the Red Lion pilot's. "Here's to the three of us enjoying this beautiful afternoon," he toasted, taking the first sip. "Mmm, delicious. Arus makes a much better wine than Tyvel, I'm sorry to say. Which is why I drink the local armagnac when I'm home." With another sip, he teased, "_Unless_, of course, I've received a care package from the Garrison with a bottle of Ciroc vodka in it."

"I knew you'd enjoy it." Lenora nodded fervently, pleased that she'd added yet another member to the vodka's growing cult following.

"Oh, so the prince here likes Ciroc, too?" Lance grinned wildly. "You know, maybe you're a lot cooler than I thought. In fact, I -" He was cut off mid-speech by the wild beeping coming from his VoltCom.

"Really?" he asked it, irritated. "Chief, what's up?"

"Lance," Keith barked over the comm unit, "come now. Grab Len and Erimar and come to Castle Control. Now. That's an order." The transmission clicked off.

Three pairs of eyes met over the table. "We'd better move, then," Lance told them, standing up. He plunked money down on the table, then grabbed Lenora with his free hand and motioned for Erimar to follow. "Sis. Your Highness. We'd better go."

Silently, the prince nodded, pushing away from the table. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew that it was big. And from the way Keith sounded, he knew that it had something - or everything - to do with his childhood friend.

* * *

"Hey, Chris! Earth to Chris! Hell_o_ in there!"

Christiane furrowed her eyebrows as her co-pilot snapped his fingers in front of her to catch her attention. "Sorry, Benton. That's...that's _odd_. I just got a vision in front of me that came out of nowhere." She shivered.

Taye, much like Christiane's husband Jeff, had grown accustomed to the seer having random visions out of nowhere; he didn't find it odd at all. "What did you see, Chris? Anything important?"

"It's Lotor." She hated to think about the Drule king. Ever since she was kidnapped - and backhanded and raped - she could feel her skin crawl at even the mention of his home planet. She touched her lower lip, almost expecting to feel the scab that she'd emerged from that ordeal with. "It's just Lotor. His eyes, his face...but his eyes are blank. Like white orbs."

Shrugging, Taye turned back to the Red Mecha console. "I wish I knew what to tell you about that. What do you think?"

"What does she think about _what_?" Over the intercom, Aidan's voice sounded less cheerful, more commanding. "What are you two talking about in there instead of attempting to get into Beta Formation?"

The pilot sneered silently at the Albegas captain. "Tech Sargeant Aki just got hit with a vision."

"Oh." Aidan shut his mouth, and Morgan's worried voice came over the intercom.

"Baby Girl? Is everything okay? What did you see?"

Christiane inhaled, looking over at Taye. "It's nothing the Voltron Force can't handle - nothing my brother can't handle," she replied, masking her nervousness. She hoped it was true. She wouldn't just be hit with a vision of this nature if it wasn't something of epic proportions.

Swallowing, she watched as her co-pilot transitioned the mecha into Beta Formation, all the while waiting for the sky to fall down on them.

* * *

A few tears of horror slid down Allura's face as Lotor body-slammed Vince into the wall. _Where are we? And why did he take Pidge and Vince, too? He only wanted me - why did he have to take them?_

"VINCE!" Pidge shrieked, moving against his bonds as best he could to get near the cadet. "Are you all right, buddy?"

"Uhhh..." the cadet groaned, gripping his head between the palms of his hands like a vise. "What was the question again?"

_"Enough!" _Lotor bellowed, grabbing Pidge by the shoulders and shoving him away from Vince. "I have heard enough out of your blasted mouths. If you don't keep those lips sealed shut, I will personally peel them off both of your faces." The Haggarium glowed bright purple behind his eyes, and Allura was horrified. This was no longer the bumbling, nearly-comical fool son of King Zarkon. This was the new king of Planet Doom - twisted, sadistic, and determined.

"Stop it, Lotor." The words came out of her mouth calmly, and she looked up at him, almost pleadingly, from her shackles. "Please stop this. You'll kill them both if you keep this up."

The king placed two fingers underneath her chin and lifted her head up to face him even higher than it already was. Allura held in a wince; the muscles in her neck and shoulders were throbbing from the brutality he'd shown her in town. "Don't you think that's what I'd like to do, Allura?" he informed her, his voice rich with contempt. "You see, I've been wrong for all these years. I only wanted you, so I'd only attempt to kidnap _you_. Now, I see how wrong I was." Turning his head, he spit in Pidge's direction. "You would rather die than marry me, I understand that now."

"A few years too late," Pidge muttered under his breath.

Ignoring the Green Lion pilot, Lotor forced Allura to hold his gaze. "Had I kidnapped you by yourself, Princess, you might have very easily found a way to escape or commit suicide before submitting yourself to me. However, with these two as hostages, you'll do whatever I say." He gazed down at her with those emotionless eyes, almost daring her to retort. "You _will _submit to me, Allura. You _will _marry me and become my queen. Because, if you don't, your friends here _will _die by my hand."

Vince gulped, tossing a glance at Pidge.

"And how am I to know," Allura challenged, keeping her demeanor non-threatening, "that you won't decide to kill them even if I _do _marry you?" She stared right back into Lotor's eyes, pupil-less and ringed with Haggarium, completely unafraid of the repercussions that would come from her words or actions. She'd had enough of living in fear.

Lotor smirked, then turned his back on her. "_Bravo_, Allura. You _won't _know. Because I can change my mind whenever I wish." He turned his head to shoot a sadistic smile at his three captives. "But I can assure you, if you refuse me, they _will _die."

"You know, Lotor, you can take me...you can force me to marry you...you can do whatever you want with me. But it won't matter. You will never have my heart. _Never." _Allura narrowed her emerald eyes in the king's direction. "My heart will always belong to Keith Kogane - whether you like it or not, whether I am yours or not."

"Only as long as he's alive, my Allura." Hitting a switch against the wall, a monitor flicked on overhead, revealing the image of his enlarged Haggarium armor. "Do you see that? That is my King Robeast, Princess. After I destroy your precious Voltron - _and _its pilots - with it, you _will _become my bride...and maybe I'll even consider allowing these two fools to live."

"_That_ thing's pretty intimidating," Vince muttered.

Moving back to the princess, Lotor gripped her face with both hands and moved in for a kiss. She tried to fight him, but she was bound, and he was too powerful. "For good luck," he informed her, letting her drop back onto the floor. "When I return, I will be victorious...which means that your beloved Keith Kogane will be dead."

He left the room then, slamming the door behind him. The only thing that lit up the dark room was the monitor with the King Robeast on it. They were sure that the image wouldn't just stay there - Lotor was too sadistic to not let them bear witness as he fought against Voltron.

Allura dropped her head to pray. _Please, Keith...don't let him return victorious._

* * *

They were all gathered in Castle Control. The Voltron Force pilots, the cadets. Sven and Romelle. The Space Marshal. Prince Erimar. It was just as the old advisor needed it to be; he needed to be surrounded by all of his available allies for this.

Coran had gone pale; beads of nervous sweat dotted his brow as he stared at the monitor. He didn't have the words. Which was good, because he didn't know how he could even get them out of his mouth.

"When did the distress signal come in?" Keith asked slowly, trying desperately to keep both his worry and his rage in check. He felt as though he might lose his mind. "What are the coordinates?"

"The distress signal came from Vince's VoltCom, as he was the only one wearing it," Coran informed him sadly, shaking his head. He knew why Allura and Pidge hadn't worn theirs, but now he wished desperately that they had. "Less than an hour ago. They were downtown, almost at the merchant's store, and then...chaos. And after that..."

"What _else_?" Lance snapped, worried about his friends.

"It's been quiet, but all of a sudden..." Coran's voice trailed off as he turned on the monitor. The image of a robeast came into view. It seemed headed towards the castle, almost as if challenging Voltron. "Then _this _came onscreen, and I felt it necessary to -"

"Of _course _we need Voltron!" Hunk shrieked. Then reality hit him hard. They had five lions and five keys, but only three pilots. "We need Voltron, but..."

"But there aren't enough pilots," Larmina finished for him.

"Indeed," Coran finished. "Blue Lion and Green Lion are out of commission."

Shooting a grin at Lance and Hunk, Keith made his decision. "Not entirely," he corrected. "I know that we haven't given the cadets a chance to prove themselves in battle yet, but now's the time. Daniel, Larmina - I know Green Lion hasn't chosen either of you as its next pilot, but I think the two of you together can make it work." He turned his head over to his fellow royal consort. "Sven, do you think you could fly Blue?"

_He doesn't know that the Haggarium infection has returned. _The Norwegian nodded gravely, knowing that there was no other option. "Of course I will fly."

Coran handed out the keys to Blue and Green Lions. The chutes opened, and six pilots made their way down the elevators to the Lions' resting places. Almost immediately, Black, Yellow and Red Lions took off, headed towards the monstrous King Robeast. A moment later, Blue Lion soared through the sky, quickly catching up to the rest of the pride.

Green Lion?

Green Lion was stuck.

"_You_ pilot," Larmina huffed the order to Daniel, "and I'll take care of everything else. I don't know anything about Green, so -"

"Don't you think the Lions are pretty much all the same?" Daniel inquired condescendingly, strapping himself behind the controls. "I mean, you've flown one, you've flown 'em all. Right?"

"Don't make me punch you. 'Cuz I _will_."

As soon as Daniel attempted to start up the Lion, the control panel flickered. Then, just as suddenly, the lights died, the cabin went dark, and their minds were flooded with the words, _You are __not__ the female. I want the female._

The cadet's violet eyes widened. "Uh...okay." He looked over his shoulder at Larmina. "I think Green's asking for you." He unstrapped himself from the seat and slid to the back, allowing her to exchange places with him.

"Huh. Maybe next time you won't insult the Lion." Larmina also attempted to start Green Lion. This time, nothing happened - no flickering lights, no control panel beeps, nothing. "Come on, Green Lion. Start up for me. You _asked _for me!"

_You are not the female in question._

Her aquamarine eyes widened as she realized the obvious. Green Lion wasn't about to start for either one of them. They were stuck in the lair while Lotor held her aunt, Vince and Pidge as hostages, and his robeast headed straight for the castle. Without them, there would be no Voltron.

_We're in big trouble._


	19. Clarity

_Author's Note__: I think __**bknbu **__put it best when she said, "It's getting tense!" Tense, indeed, for a whole bunch of reasons._

_I apologize for my lateness in posting. My health issue has reared its ugly head again, taking hours away from my "serious writing time" with its accompanying doctors' visits and blood tests. I swear that most of this chapter was written on my cell phone._

_Thank you to everyone who's still reading and following along. I always say that I have the BEST readers ever because it's true!_

_To Petronille - I got your message, and I have my fingers crossed that everything's going to go in your favor. Thanks for updating your story; I needed my Sophie fix!_

_To bknbu - Hmm, I do recall something about classified files and a prototype Voltron Force. And by the way, don't get in trouble at work! (Emie Mac, are you listening?)_

_To Smithy - I will try to make a very romantic wedding night for our Keith & Allura. As for Keith killing Lotor, well, keep reading._

_To Emie Mac - Right now, the Albegas crew is only in training (and the mecha are running just fine). No, it's only LV against Lotor this time...but get yourself ready for a bigger battle down the road. And don't worry about Lance; he'll get over David. Eventually._

_To Wade Wells - It starts! It starts! And you know what that leads to...we're gettin' a wedding! (PS: FOUR DAYS 'TIL BELLINIS!)_

_**Title Song: "Clarity" by Zedd ft. Foxes**_

* * *

They watched the screen as the four lions took off into the sky, heading towards a robeast that looked suspiciously like an enlarged, Haggarium armor-clad Lotor. Coran vaguely recalled Zarkon's King Robeast and wondered if the monstrosity before them was something along the same vein.

"Prime Minister," Lenora interrupted his thoughts, "what do you need me to do?"

Turning his head, he replied, "Nothing. There is nothing you can do except pray, Space Marshal."

"Nonsense. The castle has weapons, correct? I can handle them." She lifted her wrist, clad in her makeshift VoltCom. "Your castle defense systems should be able to accommodate my weapons cache."

"And if they don't?" Erimar edged closer to the Space Marshal, watching Romelle out of the corner of his eye. The fire was burning between them even now, and he hoped to fan the flames even further by siding with the woman the princess's royal consort truly loved. "What will you do then?"

Lenora gritted her teeth. "Then I will fight on the ground. By hand."

Romelle stood in stunned silence. _She has nothing to gain, and yet..._ She shot a dirty look in Erimar's direction, then turned her attention to the monitor. Four of the robot lions were already in the air, her husband included. The cadets and Green Lion? Still inactive.

As if sensing her thoughts, Keith's voice came over the intercom. "Coran, where's Green? We're right up against Lotor and we need the cadets here. NOW!"

"I don't know," the advisor answered. "Have you tried contacting them?"

"_Of course!"_ Keith snapped. "They won't answer. It's like the lion has been completely shut down."

Coran's jaw twitched. "All right. Leave them to me. You do what you have to do."

"Good." Keith cut off the communication, and Coran tried frantically to contact the cadets in Green Lion. Though he tried not to show it, he was growing worried about everything - the last lion's inactivity, the four other lions against Lotor, and of course the whereabouts of his abducted princess and Voltron Force members.

He forced himself not to think about the conversation he'd had with Allura so many years ago, when five space explorers first came to Arus straight out of the clutches of Doom to resurrect Voltron. Though she had been just a young princess at the time, barely eighteen years old, she held firm to the idea that Arus was _not _to surrender to Zarkon and Lotor again. _Arus will fall,_ she'd insisted, her voice thick with stubborn determination, _and we will all die before becoming slaves to Korrinoth._

Shaking his head to himself, Coran waited for a response once he'd hailed the cadets. Nothing. Growing more frantic and out of patience, he contacted Larmina directly on her VoltCom. He realized that it was entirely possible that the cadets could not get Pidge's lion to start. _But if that's the case, who's going to get it running?_

"Coran!" Larmina's shriek pierced through Castle Control. "Coran, it won't start! Green Lion won't start!"

Hearing the cadet's tone, Lenora rushed over to Coran's side. "Mina! What's wrong?"

"It won't start, Len! Green Lion won't start for us!" Larmina's voice climbed higher and more frantic as she spoke. "It told us already that it doesn't want me or Daniel flying. It keeps requesting some female pilot. Oh, we are seriously _screwed_!"

Something clicked. The Space Marshal's eyes went wide in disbelief. _How does Green know? How does it know that I'm here? And why is it asking for me?_ She could have asked questions, but now was not the time, and besides, Pidge - the only person who might have answers - was Lotor's hostage right now. So she acted on instinct instead. "I'm coming, Mina!" she shouted. Then she darted towards the elevators, intent on taking command of Green Lion.

"Space Marshal!" Coran cried out. He reached for her to stop her, but he was too slow.

"Mrs. Hawkins! _Lenora!" _Erimar began to chase after her, all the way to the elevators, in a mad attempt to keep her from doing what they all knew she was about to do. But, as she was so fond of saying, she hadn't made it to the position of Space Marshal on her looks alone. She was quick, and even in high heels, she was able to outrun the prince.

At the third elevator entrance, she leapt for the bar and spiralled downwards. Her heart pounded and she could hardly breathe, but at the same time, everything was clear. She understood everything. This was what she was meant to do; what she was _supposed _to do, according to the classified files.

And this time, Graham wasn't there to hold her back.

* * *

The screen was still lit up, and the scene playing itself out before them felt straight out of a bad movie. Allura, sandwiched between Pidge and Vince, watched in horror as Lotor in his King Robeast - complete with spiky Haggarium-clad armor - fought off Black, Red, Blue and Yellow Lions.

"Where's Green?" Vince asked, concerned. It seemed obvious to the three of them that Larmina would be in Blue Lion, and Daniel would be in Green. So if there were only four lions out in battle, then it seemed obvious that Green wanted no part of the irrational cadet in its cockpit.

Which meant no Voltron.

"I don't know," Pidge responded slowly, wishing he could feel the link to his lion. "Green's not speaking to me." He turned his head in Vince's direction. "Has Green said anything to you, Vince?"

The cadet shook his head. "No. It's been silent."

Allura inhaled sharply as she watched the screen. Lotor took a swing at Blue Lion, and she couldn't help but cringe at the thought of her niece in the cockpit. _Oh, Larmina. _Her mind filled with images of her when she first came to the castle; a seemingly-innocent twelve-year-old girl whose entire life had been upended. "We've got to help her! We've got to help all of them!"

Pidge inclined his head towards the shackles around his wrists. "And how do you suggest we do that, Princess? We're tied up, and we don't even know where Lotor brought us." He then turned to Vince. "Although I think I found a way to get out of these bonds."

The cadet looked down at the VoltCom still on his wrist. "I think we might be able to manage that."

* * *

The King Robeast was a tough opponent.

Keith couldn't believe that Lotor's robeast was so strong. Sure, as a team, they'd fought plenty of robeasts and faced difficult opponents together. They'd even fought Zarkon in his own King Robeast and won, destroying the former monarch of Doom at the end of the battle.

But Lotor's robeast was possibly the toughest they'd ever faced.

He was annoyed that the cadets hadn't gotten Green Lion off the ground yet. Without the fifth lion, the team was incomplete. There was no way that he, Lance, Hunk, and Sven in their four lions - as good as they were together - could make up for one lion missing entirely.

He watched as Lotor's King Robeast swung at Yellow Lion. It missed grabbing Hunk, but it did send him sailing through the air, crashing to the earth with an eerie, ground-shattering thud. "Hunk? Are you okay?"

"Ugh." Hunk's wobbly voice came through the intercom. "I'm okay, Chief. Just a little rattled up, that's all."

"_Incoming!" _Lance screeched as Lotor's robeast charged at the four lions. "Watch out, people!"

Keith narrowed his eyes at the image of Lotor on his viewscreen. He felt nothing but hate surging towards the Drule king, a hate that was immeasurable by human means. Thinking back on all of the things that Doom had done just towards them alone - practically destroying Arus and murdering most of its royal family, nearly killing Sven, kidnapping Allura too many times to count - one atrocity stood out by itself. One that the Voltron captain could neither forget nor forgive. One that made him want to murder Lotor man-to-man with his bare hands.

It was what he did to Christiane.

Keith was going to make Lotor pay for what he did to his sister. The crimes that the king had committed against the girl were inexcusable and, in the mind of a big brother, punishable by death. But he had no time to ponder over how he was going to extract his revenge on Christiane's behalf. Lance's shriek filled the intercom, and it seemed as though time stood still.

The King Robeast had gathered Red Lion between its claws, seemingly intent on pulling the mecha apart.

* * *

Larmina sat strapped into the rear seat in Green Lion's cockpit, gripping the armrests, while Daniel braced himself and dug his fingers into the back of the seat, holding on for dear life. Neither one of them had imagined that this was the way things would work out, but they supposed it was just as well.

Lenora was at Green Lion's helm, flying like a pilot possessed, racing towards Lotor and the rest of the Voltron Force. The cadets were shocked that the lion had started up for her. And not only that, but they couldn't believe the noises that the machine made when the Space Marshal sat in the front seat. It was almost as though the lion was _purring_, it was so happy.

"This is _crazy_!" Daniel finally remarked, sputtering from behind Larmina. "I can't believe that Green Lion wanted an outsider as its pilot!"

Lenora heard the condescending tone in the cadet's voice, but she chose to ignore it - there were bigger, more important matters to deal with. She had to help out her friends. They needed to form Voltron in order to defeat Lotor, and there was no way to do that with a missing lion.

"Cadets," she shot out, her tone clipped, "I need your help with the weapons system. I can fly Green, but I can't do all of it. Not on the first try."

"Don't worry, Len, we've got this," Larmina replied. "We'll help."

"Besides," Daniel piped up, his tone less condescending and more helpful this time, "once you guys form Voltron, Keith can kinda take over and you won't have to worry so much."

"Great."

She couldn't believe how fast Green Lion could fly. It was the smoothest aircraft she had ever flown, and that was certainly saying something, seeing as how, over the years, she'd flown fighter ships, cargo ships, transporters, and _perhaps _a certain F-11 Jetstar that she had no business being in. _That F-11 was all Lance's fault._

As they approached the target area, she gasped. Lotor's King Robeast held Red in its claws, stretching as though he meant to pull the mechanical lion apart. "Hang on, cadets!" she cried out in warning. "We're gonna ram it!"

Dropping to his knees, Daniel tightly wrapped his arms around the back of the seat and braced himself for impact. Larmina clung to the armrests, gripping so tightly that her knuckles and fingertips blanched. She narrowed her aquamarine eyes at the robeast on the screen in front of her as Lenora aimed Green Lion at Lotor's head.

The impact felt ground-shattering. Lotor went flying through the air, landing on his backside several hundred feet away. Like any good cat, Red Lion hit the ground smoothly and landed on its four paws.

Inside, Lance gripped the sides of his head with both hands. "Ugh. That hurt." Shaking his fog off, he spoke into the communicator, "Well, cadets, better late than never. Thanks for the save. I'll pay you back."

"You're welcome, Bro."

The communication channel was open, so the rest of the Voltron Force heard the response. "Sis? Is that _you_?" Lance screeched in disbelief. "_You're _flying Green Lion?"

"Lennie!" Hunk cried out joyfully. "This is so _awesome_!"

Keith was less joyful, more blunt. "_What _in God's name are you doing piloting a Voltron lion, Tech Sargeant Stensson?"

_Ouch. _"Coran contacted the cadets, who said that Green wouldn't fly for them. He wanted the female - its own words." She swallowed. She knew that Keith was particularly possessive of Voltron, and her story sounded fishy, but at least she had Daniel and Larmina in the cockpit to back her up. "I went to help them, and Green started right up for me."

As if to strengthen her response, Green Lion purred again.

"Guess that settles it," Lance laughed. "Green likes Len. Ooh, Sis, the lion's got a crush on you!"

Sven had remained suspiciously quiet throughout the entire conversation, but suddenly he found his mouth running - the words popped out before his brain had a chance to catch up. "What are you doing, _Elskede_? This is too dangerous for you! You need to get back to the castle and leave the fighting to us!"

Her lips thinned into a hard line. _This is where I would slap him across the face if he was within striking distance. "__Være stille," _she told him, narrowing her eyes and falling back behind Black and Yellow.

He narrowed his eyes - this was insanity. _"Gjøre det!"_

_"Ikke."_

Keith slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Oh, enough already, you two. Sven, I don't like this either, but we need Voltron, and if Green's only responding to Len, then we've got no other choice than to let her fly. Don't forget, Allura is what's most important right now. The rest will fall into place later."

"But Keith -" Sven protested.

"_Enough_, Sven. Allura comes first." _So does atoning for Christiane, but that's beside the point. _"Now, is everyone ready? Activate interlocks..."

* * *

_**Være stille: **__"Be quiet"_

_**Gjøre det: **__"Do it"_

_**Ikke: **__"No"_


	20. Nothing Left to Say

_Author's Note__: _ _As always, I must thank everyone who's still reading and following along with my story and its accompanying crazy characters. It means the world to me that I have such wonderful readers. Like I always say, my readers are the BEST!_

_To bknbu - Christiane's gonna have a lot of visions before this is all over. The empty casket premonition isn't making an appearance here, but wait for it...it will. (Hmm, did I mention I walked into a Jimmy Choo store and saw that they had "Lance" but not the "Myth" shoe? I think we all need a little "Lance" in our lives!)_

_To Smithy - Oh, I cannot WAIT for your reaction to this chapter..._

_To Emie Mac - Then Len/Sven thing will be a little better explored in the next couple of chapters. As for Keith, well, he's not taking this kidnapping thing lying down. Even worse than that, he's become a protective big brother in his old age, and let's not forget what Lotor did with Christiane in Book #2._

_To Petronille - You are absolutely right; the cadets were ridiculous for the most part in the VF cartoon. I'm trying like seven hells to make them more palatable. And yes, Lotor IS just horrendous. I so enjoy the GoLion version of him. (And Kir Royales? I think that's entirely doable.)_

_To Wade Wells - Christiane's vision will be explained better in this chapter. And yes, now the action is __really__ picking up! (BTW, seek out the Cherry Blossom Bellini at Zuma - I think I may have overindulged in it on Saturday night. Oops.)_

_**Title Song: "Nothing Left to Say" by Imagine Dragons**_

* * *

When the three Albegas mecha finally landed in the Garrison hangar, Taye climbed out of Red Mecha, pulling out Christiane by the hand. The girl looked practically comatose; she couldn't get the haunting image out of her head.

Because her seer abilities had never been fully developed - growing up as a ward of the state, they were never really recognized until she came to the Space Academy - her visions would often be cryptic in nature. Oftentimes, they weren't even visions, they were more like quick pictures that flashed through her mind. That was how this current vision had started; it had begun with a brief flash of Lotor, but it had steadily progressed into something worse.

She swallowed, leaning against Taye as though she might fall over without his support.

"Seven hells! What's wrong with Christiane?" David's voice rang out through the hangar as he exited his Blue Mecha. "Are you okay, Love?"

"Peachy," she coughed.

Suddenly, David and Morgan were both there in front of her, concern etched on their faces. Morgan gathered the girl in her arms as Aidan climbed out of Black Mecha. "Whoa," the captain shouted out, shading his sapphire eyes, "what in seven hells is going on over there? Little K, are you all right?"

"No." Shaken, Christiane closed her eyes. She couldn't get that image out of her head.

"What did you see?" David asked gently, placing a soothing hand on the seer's shoulder. "I know you said earlier that you saw Lotor, but I highly doubt that one image of him alone would be enough to rattle you so badly."

Morgan shot her husband a dirty look as she rubbed Christiane's back. "You saw something else, didn't you, Baby Girl," she murmured knowingly.

The seer nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Aidan inclined his head. "What was it? Is everyone okay?" For the briefest moment, a look of worry flickered over his face.

"I don't know," she admitted quietly. "I keep getting these flashes of Lotor. They're of him by himself, with his pupils gone and his eyes pure white. Or of him in a suit of spiky, Haggarium-enhanced armor. And then..."

"Then what?" Morgan urged, feeling a strange tingle starting in the tattooed skin over her lower back.

"The last thing I saw was Lotor in a one-on-one battle against Keith." Nervously, she touched her lower lip. Her brother was the first person she'd told about the rape, and to this day, the only other person she'd told was Jeff. "And if the vision is true, then it means..."

She couldn't continue.

Morgan held onto the girl tightly, casting a glance at her teammates. "Hey guys," she ventured, "how about you all come over for dinner later on? I don't want Chris all by herself tonight. Taye, you bring Kelly."

Aidan and Taye both nodded in agreement.

"Come along, Love, you're coming with us," David informed Cristiane gently. He didn't want the girl to be alone right now, and not for the rest of the night, either. There was something about the expression on her face that unnerved him.

"Thanks," she offered, clinging to her surrogate parents. She knew that she needed to be surrounded by people right now. The vision had set her on edge. If everything came true, if her brother was alone against Lotor...

Keith would fight for his sister's honor and kill the Drule king in the process. And even as a seer, she _didn't _know if he'd be able to live with himself after that.

* * *

The mighty Voltron stared down the King Robeast.

It felt strange to Keith to be at the helm of this Voltron Force. It should be Allura in Blue Lion, or at least Larmina, with Pidge or Vince in Green. With this team line-up, it very easily could have been a dozen years earlier. They could have all been twenty-one years old again.

"Uh, Chief?" Lance asked over the intercom. "How would you like to proceed?"

"We're not doing anything yet," Keith responded shortly. "I want to talk to Lotor first."

"You _what_?"

Ignoring his second-in-command, Keith turned his attention to the systems analyst in their group. "Len, I know this is asking a lot, especially considering the fact that it's your first time in a lion, but could you open a private channel between myself and Lotor?"

"I should be able to. There isn't a computer program around that I can't hack." She looked over her shoulder. "Besides, I've got the cadets here with me in case I need help."

"Good."

The communications system inside the lion wasn't that difficult to comprehend, all things considered. Lenora locked onto the signal coming from the King Robeast and transferred the communications channel to Black Lion. Anger burning in his stomach, Keith hailed Lotor.

He wasn't even sure that the Drule king would answer him. He actually wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't. They were both too far gone now; beyond the point of reconciliation or, at the very least, coming to an agreement of sorts. The only thing left was for one of them to die, and Keith sure as seven hells wasn't about to do so. He held his breath anxiously, waiting and wondering if his hail would be responded to.

Lotor's face popped up on the small view screen. "What do you want, Kogane?" he barked, his pupils long gone. His eyes glowed whited, rimmed purple from the Haggarium in his system. "Have you come to beg me to spare your pathetic lives? Have you come to beg for your precious Allura?"

"Partially," Keith admitted, clenching his fists underneath the console to keep him grounded. "I want to know where you've taken Allura." He didn't bother to ask. He knew that his nemesis wouldn't be so accommodating.

"Does it really matter, Kogane?"

"Yes," he hissed. "Yes, it does. To _me_, it does."

"Very well, then." Lotor let out a small laugh. "She and those other two pests are on my command ship. I kidnapped the three of them in the heart of downtown Arus, if you must know." He shot the captain a wry grin. "Your security must be hugely lacking if I was able to sneak onto this planet unnoticed."

_He's right. _It didn't make the situation any better, knowing that this situation was entirely due to faulty security on their part. "Listen, Lotor. If you return Allura, Pidge and Vince to us unharmed, I promise to allow you to leave this planet unscathed. That is the best I can offer you."

At those words, Lotor laughed. He let out a monstrous bellow that one might have _almost _confused for rage. "Are you serious, Kogane? You're really asking for me to just give you back your princess with nothing in return for me?"

"Oh, there's something in return for you, all right," Keith muttered darkly, narrowing his turquoise eyes. "Something huge. If you do as I've asked, I will let the fact that you raped and tortured my sister go unpunished. I will not kill you for the atrocities you committed against an innocent girl."

Lotor seemed to consider this for a moment before his expression turned amused. "You must be joking. Do you have any idea of the crimes that Christiane committed against me? No, Kogane, I do _not _accept your terms. You can drop dead, you and all of your blasted friends. I'll see the lot of you in hell."

The screen went dark.

_No he didn't. _Keith felt the rage in his system increasing, rising to past the breaking point. With a sharp inhale, he opened the communication channel between the rest if his teammates.

"What'd he say?" Hunk asked nervously, afraid of what the answer might be.

"What he said," Keith told them angrily, "doesn't need to be repeated. Point of the matter is, he must die. We have to destroy him."

"Keith, _min venn og min bruder, _I'm all for that. But I think," Sven pointed out, "that we might want to act _now_, because his robeast is changing."

Sure enough, the King Robeast began to morph in front of them. It grew taller and wider, its spikes jutting out so far in front of it that hand-to-hand combat was virtually impossible. Standing in front of Voltron, the mighty robot was dwarfed considerably.

"Now what?" Lance asked, bewildered.

Keith remained unfazed. His anger was insurmountable; it went far beyond his fear or worry. "Green Lion," he whispered to them as though he was thinking out loud. "Pidge's lion was able to throw that shield, no? What we need now is Green in the center."

"Uh..." Lenora paled considerably.

Larmina leaned forward and gripped her shoulder. "Come on, Len, you can do it!" she offered encouragingly. "And besides, it's time you showed these boys what the Space Marshal can _really _do!"

"Seven hells," she mumbled. "Okay then, let's do this already."

Keith grinned with psychotic rage at Lenora's agreement. "Okay, then. Form green center!"

And as they did, something..._happened._

* * *

Allura watched as Pidge and Vince came up with a way to undo their bondage. She never would have thought of it first, but then again, she _was_ in the presence of two analytical geniuses.

Lotor had made one fatal error in clapping the shackles on his captives - he didn't cuff them behind their backs. Though Vince's VoltCom didn't have a weapon associated with it, it had enough power behind it to destroy their bondage. As the viewing screen played in the background, showing the two opponents seemingly at a standstill, Pidge held out his wrists to the cadet.

Vince's eyes glowed with power as the sparks flew out from his fingertips. As the electrical charge collided with Pidge's shackles, a loud click reverberated through their holding cell, and the cuffs flew open and fell away.

"That was..._awesome." _The cadet was channeling his friend Daniel a little _too _easily.

"Now Allura." With his newly-free hands, Pidge pushed the princess forward so that the cadet could work his magic. Just as easily, the handcuffs opened and fell away.

As Allura rubbed her wrists, Vince concentrated on freeing himself from the cuffs. It was a little tougher for him to properly position his fingers towards his own wrists, but as soon as the sparks locked onto the metal, he was freed from his bonds.

Rising to their feet, they threw each other blank stares. "Now what?" Vince asked.

"Now we get out of here," Allura informed him.

"I'll second that," Pidge added, turning his jade eyes toward the viewing screen. _Something _caught his attention. Voltron was changing, shifting command. Forming green center.

Vince shot Pidge a nervous look. "Uh...who's in Green?"

Allura and Pidge both narrowed their eyes as the robot's face emerged. Then, as Green Voltron stared down the King Robeast, the three captives gasped. Stunned, Pidge removed his glasses and wiped them along the hem of his shirt. "Hey guys? Am I seeing this right?"

"You are," Allura answered in shock, her emerald eyes glue to the screen.

Voltron had black lips.


	21. Make This Go On Forever

_Author's Note__: I started the end of this chapter a long time ago - it contains one of my favorite scenes in the entire trilogy, as well as a little tribute for all of us old-school diehards out there. I really, REALLY hope you enjoy it._

_To Emie Mac - It's been a little too long since we've seen your man, so I'm throwing him in here. Don't worry, he'll see Chris soon enough._

_To Petronille - Thank you for sending hugs Christiane's way! After everything she's been through, the girl needs them. And Voltron didn't bulk out, but the Haggarium in Lotor's armor sure made his King Robeast grow. Because, as you would say, Lotor is just horrendous._

_To bknbu - Did you know that some of the "Lance" sandals are on sale? Not the best colors, but still...and GO, black-lipped chickie Voltron!_

_To Wade Wells - Lovey, you know that if I had the chapter written, I'd post it for you yesterday. Unfortunately, lots of things like to get in the way. BOO! Doesn't work understand that we've got a battle to carry out and a wedding to get to?_

_**Title Song: "Make This Go On Forever" by Snow Patrol**_

* * *

The Air Team was out on patrol, their five mecha joined to form the Strato Cruiser. They flew ahead of the Explorer, set on a direct path towards Arus. Jeff couldn't keep the grin off his face. It wouldn't be much longer now.

Of the five of them on the Air Team, only Wolo was out of the loop - he had been two years ahead of the rest of them at the Space Academy, and therefore knew very little about Keith Kogane. The rest of them were looking forward to their old friend's wedding. Especially Jeff. _Whoever would've thought that my old roommate would be able to take the plunge? And with a princess, no less? _

The Air Team captain still couldn't believe that, for better or for worse, he and the other Voltron captain were brothers-in-law. He had never expected to fall for Christiane, and he certainly never expected his wife and her brother to make amends after so many years apart. He also hadn't expected Keith to give them his blessing, or to leave Arus to attend their wedding, but he had. The least he could do now was return the favor.

_Wow. This means I'm gonna be related to a princess._

"Hey Jeff? Are you daydreaming in there, or what?"

Ginger's voice over the intercom shook him out of his thoughts. "No, just thinking, Gin," he responded. "You know, the usual stuff. I'm excited to see everybody and watch my old roommate tie the knot. You know, that sort of thing."

"Yeah! I get to see my brother, too!" Chip chimed in.

"Yeah, and you _know _I'm excited," Rocky added. "I mean, this'll probably be the only royal wedding we ever get invited to. I'm just glad I brought my good suit."

"Rocky," Ginger informed him, "we're _all _glad you brought your good suit."

"Man, it'll be good to see Darrell again," Chip sighed. "It'll be nice to relax at the castle, too. Hey guys, what do you think they'll serve at the wedding? You think there'll be some nice cocktails and an open bar?"

"There had better be," Wolo snorted. "I bet they serve Kir Royales. That's a pretty nice cocktail. It seems perfect for a royal wedding."

"Or they might serve something like a Bellini," Rocky offered. "Yum."

Chip laughed. "_You_ like Bellinis, Rocky?"

"Yeah. Who doesn't? Why, you got a problem with that, Short Stack?"

"Nah. You just don't seem like the Bellini type, that's all. You seem more like a PBR or a Beast on the couch type."

Ginger covered her face to hold in her giggle. "Wow, Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can. _Wow." _She shook her head. "Well, I, on the other hand, hope that there's champagne as far as the eye can see. All different types. Moët, Clicquot, Cristal, Dom, and all the other ones too. A girl's gotta dream."

With a grin creeping over his face, Jeff added, "Yeah. Speaking of wedding cocktails...I bet they'll serve Lemon Drops, too."

"Jeff," Ginger told him warningly, "when we land on Arus, I am going to _kill _you."

They all laughed. For once, it felt nice not to have to worry about the Drules or combat or forming Voltron. They deserved this break. It would be good to see their friends and family again. It would be nice to take some time off and bask in good company, knowing that they were all together again.

Arus wasn't too far away now.

* * *

_Seven hells. What do I do now?_

She felt different at the helm of Voltron. Well, obviously she would - this was unlike anything she had ever piloted. But it wasn't that. Physically, she felt different, and she knew that it had nothing to do with the new psi link she'd formed with her fellow pilots.

Though _that _felt different, too.

Through her monitor, she saw the King Robeast charging straight for them. _Move! Pick up your feet and move!_

In Blue and Yellow Lions, Hunk and Sven obliged, but they weren't fast enough, and Lotor's robeast was too powerful. He rammed into them, the spikes nearly piercing the breastplate, and Voltron went sailing through the air, landing on its back. Lenora's breath caught in her throat as she smacked her head against the back of her seat. _Ugh. __That__ hurt. _Placing her hand over her temple, she looked over her shoulder to check on the cadets. "Daniel, Larmina - are you two okay?"

Feeling guilty, she noticed that they were both shaking off the shock from the impact. "Yeah, we're okay," Larmina uttered. She lifted her aquamarine eyes to the Space Marshal, then gasped out, "_Gods_, Len, you look -"

"Everybody okay?" Cutting the cadet off, Keith's voice rang out through the intercom. He sounded different...a little richer, a little more majestic.

The rounds began. Lance, Hunk, Sven. It wasn't just Keith; everyone sounded a little different. Even her own voice sounded off to her as she responded to the question. "I'm okay, Keith. Just a little shook up. The cadets are okay, too."

"Quick, Len! We need a weapon. Lotor's incoming!"

"How do I do that?"

"It'll come. Just say the words." Voltron lifted its right arm up as a block against the King Robeast, but it was no use. The spikes on its chest, longer than even the length of the Blazing Sword, kept Voltron away from its body.

She narrowed her eyes. _We need a weapon that we can throw. Preferably something that can chop off some of those spikes so we can let the Blazing Sword finish the job. _She opened her mouth, but her lips were dry. She smacked them together, feeling a thick, waxy coating over them as she did.

_What in seven hells...?_ Why did it feel like she was wearing her black lipstick? Why was everything so _off _about this mission? She didn't have time to even think as Larmina and Daniel both shouted behind her, "LEN!"

The words were out of her mouth before her brain had even formed them. "Form Throwing Axe."

Black and Red clinked together, and Red Lion withdrew with a Norwegian double-ended throwing axe. Smiling to himself, Lance remembered the night before, when Lenora had asked him to be the Headmaster for the Arusian Space Academy once it was built. She had flung the same axe at the target after she decimated his bullet hole with hers. _Yup. That's my Sis. _

"Throw it, Lance!" she commanded hoarsely.

The first time Voltron threw Lenora's Throwing Axe instead of Pidge's Boomerang Shield, there wasn't much power behind it. It was awkward; a new weapon and a new movement at the most inopportune time. But it worked well - on that first pass, it sliced off a length of the spikes on the Haggarium armor, making it easier for the Blazing Sword to penetrate. When the weapon returned, the psi link between the team members proved unnecessary, as both Lance _and _Lenora grinned gleefully before throwing the axe a second time.

There was more power behind the second throw, and the length of the spikes on the King Robeast's breastplate were nearly shaved off. As the axe returned to Red Lion, Keith grinned savagely. They had their opening. They had to take it.

"All right, team, form Black Center. And then we form Blazing Sword and finish this, once and for all."

* * *

Vince locked his VoltCom onto one of the many electrical panels down the hallway. Immediately, his eyes flashed, and a pathway lit up along the floor. "Pidge! Allura! Wherever we are - it's giving us a way out of here. Come on, let's move!"

The princess and the Green Lion pilot barely heard him. They stood in front of the monitor, their eyes glued to the screen. A black-lipped Voltron. Pidge knew that when he formed Green Center, Voltron wore a black ninja mask over its mouth, but who would have thought that the mighty robot could wear black lipstick, too?

_Just like Len. _That was the answer. Pidge knew who was in the cockpit. It wasn't Daniel or Larmina. It was Lenora. He wondered if the princess knew it, too.

Looking over at her, he noted the contemplative expression on her face. She was overwhelmed by this new Voltron; she stared at the screen as though in a trance, her emerald eyes unblinking.

"Allura! _Pidge!" _Vince's cry sounded panicked now. "Come on! Let's get out of here before we _can't _anymore!"

_Kid's got a point. _Grabbing her by the shoulders, he dragged Allura away from the screen and towards the door. Vince looked relieved, and extended an arm to take one of her hands. But they both noticed that she didn't remove her eyes from the monitor or look ahead of her until it was out of sight.

None of them saw Voltron shifting back into Black Center.

* * *

Whatever weapon the King Robeast had - it looked like a scimitar, it was so similar to their own - it was no match for the Blazing Sword. Especially not now.

The five members of _this _Voltron Force had no idea why the energy was so different during this battle, but it was. It translated to every aspect of the lions and interconnected robot, including their weapons. Though the Blazing Sword was nothing new, it had a new power and strength behind it. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that Keith was a well of raw anger right now as he wielded it, but that was beside the point.

Blazing Sword sliced through Lotor's scimitar cleanly, cutting it into pieces as though it was made of nothing more durable than aluminum foil. "Now we finish him," Keith growled as both Red and Green Lions hoisted the weapon over Voltron's head. "Do it!"

Like so many robeasts before him, the King Robeast fell prey to the most dependable weapon in the robot's arsenal. The Blazing Sword plunged hilt-deep into Lotor's chest through the impaired Haggarium armor. Voltron withdrew quickly and stood back.

As the King Robeast shuddered, awaiting its final condemnation, the three captives followed the lit floors that had showed them the path to their freedom. Upon exiting the ship - _I can't __believe__ that Lotor had the gall to take us back to his command ship,_ Pidge thought sourly as he took in the extent of their surroundings - they noted sparks and flames.

"What the devil is _that_?" Allura cried out nervously.

As the King Robeast exploded into full flames, Voltron stood triumphantly, Blazing Sword over its shoulder. Its lips were no longer black, as Keith was back in command, but it no longer mattered. _Nothing _mattered to him besides Allura. He sensed that his princess was free, and commanded his pilots to disengage.

The five lions landed and rested, poised with their heads on their paws like real cats. Allura gulped nervously, looking over both shoulders, once at Pidge and once at Vince. They'd all seen it. _She'd _seen it.

Voltron with black lips.

Hunk emerged from Yellow Lion first. He looked subtly different, dressed in his usual yellow-and-grey uniform, but it had long sleeves, not short. His brown hair was a little longer, falling past his jawline, held off his forehead by a thick brown-and-yellow bandanna.

Lance stepped out of Red Lion next. The differences in him were immediate; Allura's eyes shot straight to the blue-and-grey uniform he wore. His light-brown hair was cropped much shorter, and his face wore a shadow of stubble.

Keith looked almost regal as he exited Black Lion. His hair flowed down his back, not like his old mullet, but in thick, glorious blue-black waves that complemented his turquoise eyes. He stood in an almost defiant fashion, his arms crossed over the chest of his red-and-grey uniform.

Sven stepped out of Blue Lion next.

Allura gasped as she took in the clean-shaven Norwegian, dressed in the black-and-grey uniform. _He looks healthy, _she thought, _healthy and happy._ There was light, not purple, behind his slate-blue eyes, and the ring finger of his left hand was adorned with a thick platinum band.

Green Lion opened its jaws, and Lenora emerged hesitantly. The most obvious change was that instead of her Space Marshal uniform, she wore the green-and-grey Voltron pilot uniform. Her chestnut hair was tied back in a thick braid rather than her standard side bun. And, commanding attention, her lips were painted black.

Vince stared at the five of them, confused, as Allura and Pidge exchanged secretive glances. They were seeing something special. The classified files. This was the Voltron Force prototype - the five originally-chosen members.

As Sven wrapped his left arm around Lenora and she brought her left hand to his, their matching platinum bands gleamed in the sunlight. Allura and Pidge realized that the two would have been married for a long time already. _Things would have been so much different, _the princess thought sadly, _if Graham had allowed her to come to Arus instead of sending Pidge._

She knew that Pidge sensed it, too.

Then, suddenly, the trance-like spell was broken, and everything returned to how it had been. The uniforms, hairstyles, and black lips all returned to normal, leaving everyone standing exactly where they were - including the Polluxian royal consort with his arm wrapped around the Space Marshal.

_"Elskede," _he began to plead his case again.

"No." Lenora wriggled out of Sven's embrace. "Not again. We can't do this. We _can't_." She trotted away from her old fiancé and over towards Hunk. "Tsuyo, could I catch a ride back to the castle with you?"

"Uh..." Helplessly, Hunk looked over at Sven. "Sure, Lennie. Whatever you want."

"Great." With that taken care of, she moved over to the captives, where she embraced Pidge. "Darrell," she whispered, removing the key from her weapons cache and handing it to him, "thank you for letting me fly your Green Lion. Larmina and Daniel are already in there." Before he could respond, she turned swiftly and planted a kiss on Allura's cheek. "I'm so glad you're safe. I'm so glad you're _all_ safe. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll see you back at the castle."

The Space Marshal returned to Hunk's side, and he reluctantly followed her into Yellow Lion. "Guys," he shouted as way of departure from his teammates, "I'll see you back home. Later!"

Allura swallowed. She felt as though she was in a daze. _What just happened here? _Then, suddenly, Keith was there, solid and smiling and lifting her through the air. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his for a kiss.

"He's gone, Love," he told her. "Lotor is dead, and you'll never have to worry about him coming after you ever again."

She smiled back at him, her emerald eyes full of emotion. "Now I can marry you and not worry about Doom making a scene, or causing trouble, or coming between us. Nothing is going to come between us ever again." She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

The only thing that brought her back to reality was her niece's persistent shout. "Aunt Allura! _Aunt Allura!"_

Keith let her out of his embrace, and she scooped the cadet into her arms. "It's time," she told the girl tearfully. "It's time. Larmina, by the end of the day, Blue Lion will be yours. You will be the new and official pilot." She smiled sadly, turning her gaze towards the Norwegian. "You'll ride back to the castle with Sven."

"Good. You're coming with me." Keith encircled his arm around his soon-to-be bride. "And you'll _always _be with me, Allura. I don't plan on ever losing you again."


	22. Blurry

_Author's Note__: I'm back! I'd like to thank everyone who read and reviewed my latest short story, "Princess of China," and everybody who commented on the Little Black Dress Brigade. ;)_

_To Petronille - I can't speak for the VF series, but I can tell you this much: in my series, that's the end for Lotor. Now, as for Wade and Maahox, that's a different story entirely...and don't be surprised if you happen to see some other baddies popping up here and there._

_To bknbu - Christiane's visions are not over; you'll see her recurring open-casket-with-nobody-in-it dream sequence a few more times before we're through. And as for Jon, you'll see him again when the Explorer docks on Arus for the wedding, which is coming up SOON! (By the way, eventually I'll have to buy those Jimmy Choo "Lance" heels in red patent leather, and then, while wearing them, drink a Lemon Drop martini. Made with Bombay Sapphire, of course.)_

_To Emie Mac - After watching the VF series, I can assure you that Wade and Maahox were a heck of a lot smarter than Lotor. If I were on the team, I'd be more concerned about them than Lotor, but then again, there __is__ a wedding to get to. Keep your eyes open for your man, a bachelor party, and a certain red beanbag chair._

_To Cubbie - My favourite gal from Down Under! There will be plenty more K/A scenes coming up. After all, we've got a wedding to put on!_

_To FroofyB - I can't wait for the Ginger/Lance and Cinda/Hunk reunions; I was just going over scenes in my head for them! I'm glad your computer is up & running, because I missed you!_

_To Wade Wells - Oh, Lovey, I'm not holding out on you. Lotor's gone, but he's not the only Drule I write about. (Hint, hint.) And he's certainly not the only Doomie I write about! So for now, let's just sit back, have a glass of vino (or a bellini) and watch these wedding festivities unfold!_

_**Title Song: "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd (one of my favorite songs ever)**_

* * *

Yellow Lion arrived back in its lair first, meaning that Hunk and Lenora entered Castle Control before anyone else. Coran, Romelle and Erimar were awaiting them anxiously. They had seen everything about the battle - the way the King Robeast had increased in size and strength; Voltron with Black Lips and its new weapon; the killing blow that had destroyed Lotor. There were a million questions they wanted to ask the prototype Voltron Force.

Lenora hung her head and scurried out of the elevator, desperate for the safe haven of her guest quarters. "Hunk," she said wearily, her chocolate-brown eyes incredibly sad, "only two people are allowed access to my room: Larmina and Lance. No offense to you or anyone else, of course."

The Yellow Lion pilot nodded. "None taken, Lennie."

Stepping away from Romelle, Erimar headed in the retreating Space Marshal's direction. "Mrs. Hawkins..."

"_No_, your Highness." The words came clipped and fast.

Hunk stopped him, placing a hand on the prince's shoulder. "She's right, you know. You should leave her alone right now, _especially _after what just happened out there."

"_What_ happened?" Romelle cried out in exasperation, her aquamarine eyes still wide with disbelief.

The engineer didn't know how exactly to tell them what had happened on the battlefield. Fortunately, before he could answer, the remaining elevator doors opened, with plenty of people spilling out - Keith, Allura, Lance, Pidge, Vince, Sven, and Larmina. Coran ran towards them, a feeling of profound relief washing over him. "Princess! _PRINCESS!"_

As the advisor gathered Allura in his arms as though she was a young child, she laid her head on his shoulder and allowed herself that small comfort for a moment. After kissing his cheek, she informed him, "Coran, I'm handing over the mantle of Blue Lion tonight. To Larmina." She gave him a lopsided smile. "I thought that would make you happy."

"It does...but is Larmina ready?"

Allura arched her eyebrow and gave him a small smirk. "She's _more _than ready. And I know that Keith will agree."

The advisor decided to play devil's advocate. "Of course Keith will agree with you, my dear. But tell me, will he agree because Larmina is ready to handle the responsibility, or because he is desperate to get you off the Voltron Force and onto the throne of Arus?"

Having caught the tail end of their conversation, Keith placed his hand on Allura's shoulder. They behaved as a single unit, despite the fact that they weren't quite married. "Coran, you should know by now that if anyone is desperate to put Allura on the throne, it's you. Nanny. The ghost of King Alfor. The Arusians, all of them." He stood firm, staring down the advisor without blinking. "I am the _last _person who wishes to force Allura into the role of queen. Yes, I'd like for her to take on that role, but I would never force her into it."

Coran took a step back, aghast. "Of course," he stammered, loosening his collar. "Though you must understand, Captain, the lines are blurred now. Your interests and the Arusians' interests will forever be intertwined or at opposite ends of the spectrum. I hope you realize that."

"Of course." Keith's hand found his way to his fiancée's. As they gripped each other with fingers tightly entangled, they turned to walk away from the advisor and back towards their teammates, Larmina especially. "Cadet, are you ready?"

The lady of Arus beamed. "More than you know, Chief."

Keith grinned to her. "Then it's decided. We'll be ready for the ceremony tonight."

Neither he nor Pidge missed Daniel reaching for Larmina's hand. "Congratulations, Mina," he told her softly, without a hint of jealousy in his voice. He pressed his lips to her temple.

While doing so, Vince approached his fellow cadets. "Wow, Larmina, that's incredible!" he shouted, gathering his friend in his arms for a hug. "Come on," he continued, lowering his voice so only they could hear, "let's go down the Lair and celebrate!"

Larmina cleared her throat. "Where's Len? Does she know?"

Hunk shook his head. "She just went off to her room, little lady. But on the bright side, she _did_ say that you could see her. Lance, too. But no one else." He shrugged. "Those were the orders. Romelle and Erimar here can back me up."

Both members of royalty inclined their heads once in agreement.

"Okay, then," Larmina informed them. "I'm going up to her room to tell her about tonight. See you all later!" She dashed out of Castle Control, leaving behind bewildered guests, teammates, friends and family. She didn't care right now; she wanted to leave the madness she'd just lived through behind and revel in the safe haven that was the Space Marshal.

But when she arrived at Lenora's room, it was empty.

* * *

They knew when it happened.

Swallowing, Maahox eyed Sky Marshal Wade. Even though they both knew that this would be the outcome, it was still jarring to witness it. And then there was Voltron with black lips...it all seemed so surreal.

"Are we keeping with the plan?" the occult scientist asked. "I haven't used up all of the Haggarium stores on the Predator Robeast. I could still reanimate him one more time, if you so choose."

Wade shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "No. We will _not _reanimate that fool, Maahox. He went out the way he wanted to, failing miserably in the process." The Sky Marshal gave a stiff mock salute. "And now that he's out of the way, we can continue with our plan. Patience, Maahox. When the Predator Robeast is complete, we will not only _defeat _Voltron and the Garrison, but we will _destroy _them."

The occult scientist nodded stiffly, then excused himself to return to the lab. As he did, a wave of relief washed over him. Lotor was gone and would not be coming back, which meant that there would be no more silliness or theatrics or childish outbursts. There would only be patience, strategy and military finesse.

Victory was finally within reach.

* * *

She knew she shouldn't have gone, but she couldn't help it. She had to see the boy. It would only be one time, and she promised herself that if there was any sign of Romelle, she would leave immediately. But she had to see him. She had to know what the child Sven fathered looked like.

She was sorry for everything. She was sorry that Sven still loved her, and she was even sorrier that she still loved him. Worst of all, she was sorry that they had hurt Romelle and Jon. She knew from certain stories floating around - whispers from Drea and Sofia - that Romelle hadn't exactly been a faithful wife, that she'd had dalliances of her own, but Jon had done nothing. He had done nothing except be the perfect husband and partner. He was too good for her, much better than she deserved.

She tried to see the situation from Romelle's point of view. How would she feel if she knew that Jon had an ex-fiancée, one he still loved, one she knew he would go back to if it weren't for the fact that he was married? And what if she and Jon had a son together, and that beloved ex-fiancée of his was sneaking off to see him? It was a wretched feeling, and her gut twisted as she approached the cottage. She hated herself on so many levels.

Hesitantly, she knocked on the cottage door. The woman Allura had referred to as Nanny - well, she had to have been the one who opened it. The round, older woman eyed her skeptically for a moment. "Ach, Space Marshal. I see they finally sent someone from the palace to check on my little man."

"Indeed," she answered quickly, catching her breath. "I'll just be a moment, and then I'll leave Erik in your care."

The boy had just woken up from a nap. His rosy lips were curled up, and he blinked his large slate-blue eyes at her. His skin was pale, his hair sandy-blond. His cheekbones and jawline, his nose and chin and forehead were all miniature replicas of his father's. He looked like what she believed Sven might have looked like as a toddler, only without the dark hair.

_What __my__ baby might have looked like if Sven and I had never been separated. _It would have hurt less if she'd stabbed herself in the gut and twisted the knife. It would have hurt less if she'd shot a bullet into her heart.

"Ach. Are you all right, Space Marshal? You look ill."

Lenora swallowed. She did indeed feel ill, enough to vomit all over the floor, but she held herself in check. "I'm fine, thank you. I just wanted to make sure that Erik was doing well. I can report back to Princess Allura now." A lie. A blatant lie. She wasn't there for Sven or Romelle or Allura or anyone else. She was there for her own selfish reasons.

As if she sensed Lenora's thoughts, Nanny eyed her skeptically, but said nothing as she escorted her out of the cottage.

Starting back on the path to the castle, she tried not to cry, but the tears filled her eyes anyway. Her baby. She knew that Jon wanted to start a family, and now, having seen Erik, she didn't know why she was so hesitant about it. She wondered if, subconsciously, she'd always wanted Sven to be the father of her children, and that was why she'd been wary of procreating with her husband. Not that it mattered anymore. Sven was married to Romelle and they had a beautiful little boy. He would never be the father of her children now.

Her vision blurry, she slipped back into the castle, cursing Green Lion and the classified files for making an emotional wreck out of her.

* * *

As Aidan unscrewed the cap off a bottle of Johnny Walker, Morgan finished getting the meal ready. Kelly and the rest of her Albegas teammates were over for dinner, and as usual, she'd made enough food for an army. She'd prepared her favorite meal, shredded chicken breast mixed with pasta and vodka sauce, accompanied by garlic bread, green beans, and a big tossed salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette...and of course, plenty of wine and whatever was in their extensive liquor cabinet.

Christiane set the table. Having spent a good deal of time living in the Rackens household, she knew where everything was. After laying out the dishes, silverware and napkins, she broke out wineglasses and rock tumblers for cocktails.

With his tumbler filled with scotch in front of him, Taye uncorked a bottle of sauvignon blanc and poured an overly-full glass for his wife. "Would you like one too, Chris?" he asked his co-pilot. "I'm pouring."

She didn't answer. Her gaze was fixed on the table, her turquoise eyes glittering and unblinking.

Seeing the look on her face, Taye set the bottle of wine down, then stood and walked around the table, gently placing his hand on her back. "What do you see, Chris? What vision are you getting now?"

Suddenly, the seer inhaled, blinking her eyes a few times. "Oh...it was Lotor again," she breathed. "Only it was a little different this time." She frowned. "He was there, just the same as he was every other time I saw him, and then he was blurry. And then he just disappeared entirely." She shuddered.

David entered the dining room, carrying a serving platter full of the main dish. He noticed the disturbed expression on Christiane's face and immediately grew concerned. "What's wrong, Love?" he asked while setting the platter down on the table. "Did you get another vision?"

"She did," Kelly answered.

Morgan carried the salad bowl and the green beans into the dining room, placing them down alongside the pasta dish. "Baby girl, what did you see?" She leaned over to plant a kiss on top of her head.

Christiane shook her head. "Nothing new," she answered, shaking her head. She then lifted up her empty wineglass. "To answer your question, Taye...yes, I need a glass of wine. A big one."

The Red Mecha pilot winked. "You got it."

The six of them sat down around the dining room table, David and Morgan at opposite ends, and Aidan stood, lifting his tumbler. "Here's to the best team anyone could ever be on," he offered genuinely, looking at his family around the table. "And here's to having the next few days off. Cheers!"

They lifted their drinks, clinking their glasses against one another's. As they settled down at the table and began to serve themselves food, Christiane sat back and sipped her wine, trying to calm her nerves. No, she hadn't been lying to Morgan when she said she hadn't seen anything new. But it wasn't just the vision of Lotor that she'd seen.

Accompanying Lotor was the open casket with nobody in it.


	23. Something About Us

_Author's Note__: A huge thank you to everyone who's still reading and enjoying! It's because of you guys that I keep going._

_As always, I own nothing except the stuff I've created._

_To Emie Mac - Oh, the empty coffin. That's the doozy. Especially considering that Chris has been dreaming about it since "Icicle." And when it comes to light, well, don't be shocked by the fallout that occurs._

_To Cubbie - Um...COULD this fic be classified as one of the Voltron soaps? I don't know, ask __**Wade Wells**__. *waves* And YES, I am headed to Sydney in the fall for eleven days, and I'll ask my travel partner if we can see Melbourne!_

_To MamaBirdCat - Good to hear from you! Yeah, a lot happened with that black-lipped Voltron and all. And yes, Len __is__ in her own personal hell right now, all on account of that aforementioned black-lipped Voltron...but she's going to snap out of it soon._

_To bknbu - Thanks for the compliment, Baby! I'll be honest, the thing about VV is that you really have to watch Dairugger first to figure out what in seven hells is really going on. And even then, the only VF members who ever get mentioned regularly are Jeff, Cliff and Crik - and Hawkins, of course. ;) Every now and then, you get an episode focused on Ginger, Wolo, Chip or Shannon (and the running joke is, Who are Tangor and Zandee?), but otherwise there wasn't as much character development as there was on DotU. That's where I come in; I like to flesh out these forgotten characters._

_To FroofyB - You know, even when I write (and I always say that these characters write the story for me), I want to smack the crap out of a couple of characters. This Len/Sven thing is even grating on __my__ nerves. Seriously. So yeah, I understand that she's all shaken up by the black-lipped Voltron episode. Boo-frickin'-hoo._

_To Wade Wells - I don't think Keith really cares about revenge as long as Lotor's dead; that's the most important part! Just wait until Christiane shows up on Arus and her big brother gives her the news. Oh yes, and then there's Merla... *evil grin*_

_**Title Song: "Something About Us" by Daft Punk (**__**Sally On**__**, that's for you!)**_

* * *

Larmina was disappointed that Lenora hadn't been in her quarters - she wanted to share the news with her personally before the Space Marshal heard it through the rumor mill. But her room was empty, and the cadet had no idea where she'd gone.

She decided to head down to the Lair, the secret gathering spot that she shared with Daniel and Vince. As she headed down the hallway, she noticed Sven in front of the bank of elevators. _Uh-oh. __That__ can't be good._

"Larmina." He sounded broken, just as she assumed he might. But how could he not be? Both Sven and Lenora had been tortured at the end of that battle, catching a glimpse of how their lives might have turned out if only Graham hadn't intervened. "Is she there? Will she see me?"

The cadet sighed. "No and probably not, Sven," she answered gently, placing a hand on his upper arm. "Listen, I know how painful that - vision, or whatever you wanna call it - was for you. I'm sure it hurt Len, too. But remember, just because there was something between the two of you at some point, it doesn't mean you can go back. It doesn't mean that the specialness is still there."

He nodded in understanding, though his eyes looked hollow.

"Okay, well, I'm supposed to meet Daniel and Vince right now, so I've gotta go. You'll be okay, right?"

He didn't answer, and Larmina knew he _wouldn't _be okay, but she had no choice but to leave him behind. She scurried into the elevator, watching him as the doors closed. She then buried her face in her hands as the elevator began to chug downwards.

She stayed in that position until she arrived in the basement. Then, once the doors opened, she removed her hands and opened her eyes. Daniel was waiting for her, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Vince was nowhere in sight.

"Hey." His violet eyes glowed.

"Hey yourself." She walked over to him and placed both hands on his shoulders. "You're not mad, are you?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Because I'm getting promoted."

With a smile, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer. "Are you kidding, Mina? No, of course I'm not mad. Blue chose you as its next pilot, so why would I get upset about that?" He kissed her gently. "Besides, if I want to pilot a lion, I have to wait for either Keith or Lance to step down. And I don't think any of us are ready for that to happen yet."

"Fair enough." It felt good to be in Daniel's arms, even if it _was _just for a short amount of time. There was an energy between them, a sort of undeniable bond that drew them together, even if she knew they weren't completely right for each other. Not that it mattered. As soon as Vince arrived, it would be like this had never happened.

* * *

As Justine packed her belongings together, she smiled to herself. Things on Elnor had gone better than she had anticipated. The Prime Ministers were lovely people, and after their short meeting, it was decided that the planet would indeed house a Space Academy in the future. _That makes the fourth school. _In exchange, Elnor was granted an immediate invitation to join the Galaxy Alliance, even going so far as to choose Eloisa for its representative.

It had certainly fared better than the fiasco on Planet Pileria.

Hoisting her bag up over her shoulder, she took one last, long look out the window. For some reason, this visit had changed her. _Prince Tristan took on the impossible task of rescuing his fiancée, only to die as his reward,_ she thought grimly. _I could barely get Byron to buy me a carton of milk._

She definitely needed to get over her ex.

Finally turning her head, Justine exited the room and locked the door behind her. She said her farewells to the Prime Ministers and the people who had treated her so graciously, and climbed aboard her jet to head back to Earth.

Once she had finally left Elnor and was finally en route to the Garrison, she knew what she had to do. If she was going to fix her love life, she had to find someone who loved her as much as Tristan had loved Romelle. Someone who was willing to put her first, someone who loved her enough to die for. Someone _she _would be willing to die for.

Biting her lip, she felt ashamed for wasting the last three years of her life.

* * *

It was the last time Allura would ever wear her Voltron uniform.

The remaining members of the Voltron Force had gathered in the great hallway to witness the transfer. They were joined by Coran, the cadets, Sven and Romelle, Prince Erimar, and the Space Marshal. Even Nanny, Drea and Sofia - with Erik in tow - peeked their heads in to watch the momentous occasion.

It wasn't a ceremony for the public to witness; instead, there would be a great proclamation by the town crier to let the planet's inhabitants know. It would be an announcement that _would _have been followed by a great ball - after all, the Lady of Arus was taking over Blue Lion - had it not been for the fact that her aunt was on the verge of getting married and becoming Queen. And besides, Larmina had never been one for dresses and parties thrown in her honor.

At the top of the grand staircase, in front of a life-size painting of her father, King Alfor, Allura stood gravely, feeling the enormity of the situation weighing on her. This was the end of the road. _No more Blue Lion after this, _she thought, hashing out her inner turmoil. This was the right thing to do, she was sure of it. Her people needed a queen, her niece was ready to take over the mantle of Blue's pilot. The time was right. _Everything_ was right.

It still hurt.

Larmina looked radiant. Though dressed in her cadet uniform, she'd left her strawberry-blond hair long and loose instead of pulled back in a ponytail, absent of the casual cabochon tiara she always wore. Her aquamarine eyes twinkled with a mix of equal parts excitement and terror. When she approached her aunt, she was ready, and they both knew it.

"Lady Larmina of Arus."

"Your Majesty."

Allura inhaled, knowing that they were the focus of all eyes. Swallowing back a sob, she removed the key to Blue Lion from her VoltCom and placed it gingerly within the crevice of Larmina's VoltCom. She was so proud. It still tasted like death.

With the fingers of her left hand, Larmina gently pushed on the key to lock it into position.

"Ready?" she whispered.

"I'm ready, Aunt Allura."

Swallowing nervously, the future queen took her niece's hand in hers, entwining their fingers together. Then, with a large exhale, she closed her eyes and allowed the powers of Voltron to flow from her fingertips.

It was a strange sensation, the energy from her VoltCom leaving and flowing into another's. It left her feeling hollow and empty, yet strangely exhilarated. This was it. This journey - _her _journey - was over. In the end, she had to acknowledge that her time as a Voltron pilot was over. She had a new role to fill, one as queen. And wife. And, down the road, mother.

She wondered if Sven had felt the same way, knowing that she had taken over his role so long ago.

When Allura opened her eyes again, Larmina was glowing, bathed in blue. She looked reborn, proudly wearing the blue Voltron pilot uniform. Her eyes glowed.

"And now...one more thing." With those words, Allura removed the tiara from her head. "As the second member of Arusian royalty to pilot Voltron's Blue Lion, I hereby coronate you, Lady Larmina of Arus, with the Blue Tiara."

The new pilot stood shaking underneath her aunt's hands as she affixed the tiara to her head. Then, once she had secured it properly, they embraced, and both of them promptly burst into tears.

* * *

She stood on the balcony, staring up at the glittering night sky and desperately trying to keep the tears out of her eyes. She'd been on the verge of sobs all day, since she got out of Green Lion and visited Erik under Nanny's care. And she didn't know if she'd gone out to the balcony because she needed to be alone, or because she knew he'd inevitably follow her out there.

She knew him too well, even after so many years. After a few moments, so as not to seem obvious, Sven followed her out to the balcony, slipping past the revelry that made up Larmina's so-called party. He joined her outside underneath the night sky. The glittering stars overhead were the only light.

_"Elskede." _He approached and stared at her, crossing his arms over his chest. "You have to talk to me, whether you want to or not. You cannot pretend that this afternoon never happened." He hovered only inches away from here. _"__Jeg vil ikke tro deg du sier du elsker ikke meg."_

Gritting her teeth, Lenora turned her head away to look down at Lake Arus. The waves gently lapped the shore, glistening in the moonlight. "I know what you want me to say, Sven. You want me to say that I love you. That we're meant to be together, that I'll leave Jon if you'll leave Romelle, that we'll take your beautiful son away from his mother." She shook her head. "My answer is no. This isn't the right time. The right time was twelve years ago, and you left me then."

Even in the darkness, she could see the rage and the purple Haggarium infection in his eyes. "I did _not _leave you then!" he hissed. "I proposed to you and put a ring on your finger, don't you remember? I wore that ring around my neck for ten years, waiting for you."

"But you never came back. And by the time you did, you were married, you had a child, and I was engaged." She shook her head. "Sven, why are we doing this dance again? Every time we see each other, we rehash old issues. Our time is past. I know that there's something between us - there will _always _be something between us, hidden away like a secret. But after today, I think it really needs to stay that way. I wouldn't be so messed-up right now had it not come out in the open this afternoon."

_"Elskede_...I miss you more than anything in my life. _Jeg elsker deg."_

Closing her eyes, she replied, "I know. I feel the same way. But it's not right."

Furious, he placed his hands on her shoulders a little too forcefully. "_Elskede_, after I saw you this afternoon...after you flew Green Lion...I knew that we were not finished. We're supposed to be together!"

"Don't you think I know that already, Sven? _God!" _She buried her face in her hands. "I hate this. I hate the fact that we just had a vision of us, married and happy, rubbed in our faces. I _hate _it. But I refuse to hurt Jon. He doesn't deserve it, and even more, I love him." She bit her lip. "And _you _should be refusing to hurt Romelle."

"She doesn't care!" His voice was a few decibels short of a yell. "Let me tell you something: while I was on Earth, trying to win you back, she was on Pollux, exploring the body of that Prince Erimar who's been flirting with you since the moment he got here."

Lenora stared at him, open-mouthed and floored.

"Yes, _Elskede_. She cheated on me."

"You cheated on her first. With me."

He swallowed. _"Jeg vet."_

"Two wrongs don't make a right, Sven. You should know that." Steeling herself, she grasped each of his hands and pulled them off her shoulders. "Listen. I wish more than anything that we could be happy together, I really do. But it won't happen, not in this lifetime. So you have to leave me alone. Go back to your wife and make things right between the two of you. Spend time with your beautiful son. Create a happy family, Sven. Promise me you'll do it."

He shook his head. "I'll never be truly happy without you."

With an angered sigh, she shoved him aside and stormed back into the castle. "I'm sorry about that, Sven, I really am," she called back to him without turning around. "But it's time for you to learn. Because _I _cannot be happy if you're not happy."

He watched as she pushed aside the balcony's glass door, slipping back into the ballroom. He knew her too well - she would gracefully excuse herself to her guest quarters for the rest of the evening, abandoning company for her thoughts and her inner torment. As the door slid back into position with a slight thud, he wondered how they could ever be truly happy without each other.

* * *

_**Jeg vil ikke tro deg du sier du elsker ikke meg: **__"I will not believe you if you say you don't love me"_

_**Jeg elsker deg: **__"I love you"_

_**Jeg vet: **__"I know"_


	24. Through Glass

_Author's Note__: I know that everyone has been eagerly awaiting the landing of the Explorer on Planet Arus. Let's skip the chit-chat and get straight to the story!_

_To Smithy - Yes, Keith will be the royal consort, not king. Like you said, he's not royalty, so he doesn't get to be crowned king. (And how do you feel about no more Lotor?)_

_To Emie Mac - Now that Larmina's piloting Blue, Allura can face the even bigger task of commanding the crown. Which means that there's a wedding coming soon. Which means that there's another Voltron Force arriving even sooner. Like, in this chapter._

_To bknbu - No, Sven has no idea about Prince Tristan of Planet Elnor (although we do!). Whether or not she'll tell him about it remains to be seen. As for VV, well, I wish I had the available equipment to burn my Dairugger discs for you; the subs make SO much more sense._

_To Wade Wells - Well, Lovey, if you __did__ so happen to jump into my story, it wouldn't be the first time you've done so. ;) (Remember Part 3 of "Princess of China"?) I know you hate Larmina in Blue, but it's for the best - how can Allura fly when she's pregnant? Down the road, of course, not now. I don't want Nanny coming after me._

_**Title Song: "Through Glass" by Stone Sour**_

* * *

When the transmission came in from Korrinoth, King Bhorn closed his eyes. _Imbecile. I should have known that Lotor would self-destruct. He's worse than his father ever was._

The old Drule king knew he had to spread the message that Lotor had perished...the second time he had done so. Once again, that left the Ninth Kingdom without a legitimate ruler. Oh, those two _circus clowns_, the occult scientist with one eye and the deposed leader of the Galaxy Alliance, were left behind to run the show, but they were not Drules. They could never be the leaders of the planet affectionately referred to as Doom. Not officially.

_Pests. I'll deal with them later._

Taking a swig of wine from his chalice, he began to work on the official document announcing Lotor's death to the rest of the Drule Supreme Council.

* * *

The cloaked royal servants of the Seventh Kingdom's tip-toed around nervously, none of them daring to make a sound and disturb their queen. Since the transmission from Planet Naraku, Merla had been locked up in her chambers, alone, leaving her castle staff baffled as to what was going on.

"Sidonie?" one of the castle maids called out. Sidonie, Merla's handmaiden, looked up from the meal she was helping the chef to prepare. With her willowy figure, light violet skin, yellow eyes, and flowing cerulean locks, she was the only member of the royal staff allowed to go without a cloak. "Sidonie, have you gone to her yet?"

The young Drule woman shook her head. "I haven't dared."

The castle maid shrugged. "Maybe you should go. She likes you better than the rest of us, Sidonie. Maybe if you go check on her, she'll come back to us, and things will return to normal around here."

"Maybe." Inclining her head once, the handmaiden excused herself and headed off to her queen's private chambers. She didn't think she was _really _Merla's favored staff member, but somehow she knew that the queen shouldn't be alone right now.

* * *

After checking out the output from the early detection system, Pidge wiped his glasses on the hem of his shirt. "I can see them!" he shrieked, making the announcement to his teammates through his VoltCom. "It's in the atmosphere, guys! The Explorer has officially entered Arusian airspace!"

"Cool!"

"Right on!"

_"Awesome!"_

They were all excited. With the Explorer landing, it meant that the royal wedding was really only down to days away. It meant that their friends, family and loved ones were all within reach. It was too bad that the Albegas crew wasn't there to join them, but at least they would be there soon.

Pidge and Coran were the only two people in Castle Control, so there wasn't much fanfare when the stellar ship hailed them. "Stellar Ship Explorer to Castle of Lions."

"Castle of Lions," Pidge answered. "Bringing up screen now."

Tech Sargeant Sparks' face filled up the viewscreen. He appeared startled for a moment as he looked at Pidge. "Well. It certainly _is _obvious that you have a twin brother, Tech Sargeant Stoker. It's like looking at a mirror image."

Pidge saluted. "Tech Sargeant. Where is Commander Hawkins?"

Sparks looked over his shoulder, where he noted the commander deep in a private conversation with Cliff and Jeff. "He's preoccupied at the moment. He asked me to gain clearance to land on Lake Arus."

"Permission granted," Coran cut in, holding his delight in check. "We have already informed the rest of the Force that the Explorer is landing. We will meet you outside."

"Excellent. We will see you in less than thirty minutes. Sparks and Explorer out."

As the transmission cut out, the Green Lion pilot looked over at the advisor. "Wow. It feels like forever since I've seen Chip and the rest of my family, and now they're about to land on Arus. It makes everything seem _real_, doesn't it?"

"It does." Coran nodded in agreement. "My Allura is getting married. The day is practically upon us now." He looked teary-eyed. "I can still remember the five of you showing up at our doorstep just when we needed you most. I cannot tell you how much you all mean to me." He brought his clasped hands to his lips. "I know that you all think of each other as family, you and your teammates and those others from the Academy...but Allura and I feel as though you're all family, as well."

Pidge nodded. "Thank you, Coran. If it means anything, we feel like Arus is home, too."

The advisor placed his hand on Pidge's shoulder. "Now, let's get the rest of the team together. We have to greet the Explorer when they land."

"You're right." Unable to keep the grin off his face, he headed towards the main doors of Castle Control to gather the rest of his teammates. He had a feeling that there was going to be a huge greeting party for the Vehicle Team.

* * *

Christiane had been staying with David and Morgan since the night of their dinner. She even stayed in the same room she'd shared with Jeff, cuddled up against the pillows and wishing her husband was there with her. _Especially _since she'd had the visions.

As she was settling into bed, she heard a knock on the door. "Baby Girl? Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Morgan poked her head into the room. "Everything okay in here? Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes, I've got everything packed." Christiane glanced over at the stuffed garment bag and large suitcase. Tomorrow, the entire Albegas Team, as well as the First Officer, were headed to Arus for the royal wedding. It would be the first time she'd get to see Keith since she got married. "How about you? Are _you _ready?"

The navigator took a deep breath. "I'm not sure. I mean, I know that Keith and I are on good terms now - and I think Allura is _great_ - but, I mean, it's really weird to attend your old boyfriend's wedding." She shot the tech sargeant a wry smile. "Ask Lisa."

"Yeah."

Morgan shrugged. "Well, I just wanted to check on you, Baby Girl. You haven't been yourself since you had those visions the other day. Why do you think Dave and I asked you to stay here with us? We didn't want you alone."

Christiane nodded. She often spoke of her visions, but the only person she'd told about the empty casket was Jeff. She didn't want to alarm anyone with what it meant. She knew that someone was going to choose to walk into his or her own death, willingly and without fear. She just didn't know who that person was yet. "Thank you. I prefer to not be alone, anyway."

Morgan leaned over and kissed the top of her head, almost as though she was their child. In a way, she was; Christiane thought of the Rackenses as her surrogate parents, even though they were only a few years older than she was. "We love you, Baby Girl. Now, you should get some rest. It's gonna be a long flight to Arus tomorrow."

"I will. Good night, Morgan."

As the door closed, Christiane wondered how she would ever get to sleep with that vision dancing around in her head. It had been there for so long now, it felt like forever. It felt like the vision has made a home for itself in her brain, and she knew it would continue to torment her until someone died or she went mad.

* * *

The stars were just beginning to shine down when the crew of the Explorer and the Vehicle Team made their way on foot to the Castle of Lions. The Voltron Force was waiting for them, along with Coran, the two remaining cadets, the soon-to-be queen, Sven, Romelle, and the Space Marshal.

Sven looked over at Lenora forlornly but said nothing. Romelle gripped his hand knowingly.

In a way, the Polluxian princess was grateful for the Space Marshal's presence. She found the woman to be honorable, despite the fact that she and Sven shared a checkered history. And she was the only person who could call Sven out and attempt to keep him in line. Romelle hadn't yet met Commander Hawkins, but she already knew that she would never tell him about his wife's tryst with her old fiancé. After all, she wanted them to remain happily married.

There was no way for her own marriage to survive if theirs perished.

As a crowd of people began to come into view, one voice could be heard above the masses. "Pidge? Pidge, you'd better be there!"

"Of _course _I'm here, Chip!"

Suddenly, the Baltan twins were together, hugging and wiping away happy tears from behind their glasses. Rocky and Hunk met up and exchanged hellos, while Jeff approached Keith, casually dismissed him with a slap on the shoulder, and gathered Allura in my arms.

"There she is," he winked, showering both sides of her face with kisses. "The bride-to-be. The female version of me." Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he turned his face to grin at his old roommate. "No one - besides the two of us - will ever know what it's _really _like to be married to a Kogane."

She laughed. "We have to stick together, then."

Keith came over to them, grinning. "Stop filling her mind with ideas, Aki. You can do that _after _she becomes my wife." He rested his hand on Jeff's shoulder. "How's Christy?"

"She's great."

"I'm glad. I have something to tell her. Something that'll make her even better."

Sven observed silently from the background as his family from the Academy days reunited. He watched Lance and Ginger reunite, passionately embracing despite the company. He watched as Hunk possessively hugged Cinda, and she giggled in reply. He watched Lisa kiss both Keith and Pidge in greeting, flashing her new ring - _Is that an engagement ring?_ - as she did. Worst of all, he watched his _elskede_ run up to her husband, wrapping herself up in his arms without so much as a word between them.

It made the Haggarium in his blood boil.

Suddenly, he was startled by the slap on his back. "Viking! There you are, old chap." Cliff shot him a wry smile. "It's good to see you again. You look well."

"Not really, no. But thank you."

The Land Team captain followed Sven's gaze. "Ah. I get it now," he offered as he watched the commander and the Space Marshal together. "Well, in any case, old chap, Jeffrey insisted that we pick up a bottle of this, er, disgusting-looking Scandinavian drink for the bachelor party. And I'm using the word _drink _very loosely."

_"Akevitt."_

"Yes, that sounds like it." Cliff shrugged. "So, is this your wife? She's very beautiful."

Romelle smiled. "Yes. I am Princess Romelle of Planet Pollux...but please, call me Romelle. Or Romy." She shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you..."

"...Cliff. Clifford Jack, actually, captain of Vehicle Voltron's Land Team." He took her hand and kissed it. "Charmed. Tell me, how do the two of you feel about showing me to my quarters?"

"Follow me." Sven couldn't wait to get away from the greeting scene. He needed to get as far away from the revelry - and Commander Hawkins - as possible.

He was desperately grateful for Romelle's presence next to him, and for her hand in his.

* * *

Stunned. She'd sat in her chambers, alone, since King Bhorn's announcement, in complete disbelief that this had happened again. It shouldn't have been a surprise - she _had _read the occult scientist's mind, after all - but she still wasn't prepared for it.

_Stupid fool. If he'd been less enamored of that Arusian princess, he might still be here._

Merla was not one to wallow in her misery. Indeed, the first time Lotor had perished, she remained her usual unperturbed self. She didn't know why it hurt more now. Maybe it was because of what had happened on Naraku after the latest Drule Supreme Council meeting.

She let herself remember, something she rarely allowed herself to do. Too long ago, after countless attempts to unite Korrinoth with other planets outside the Drule Supreme Council - _Planet Demos and that horrible Corrall come to mind _- Zarkon had made plain his feelings about uniting the Seventh and Ninth Kingdoms. She was only a duchess then, and Lotor a fool-minded prince with lofty ambitions, but she remembered how flattered she was that someone as powerful as Zarkon Daibazaal had found her worthy.

When they were destroyed, she had no time to mourn. She had just been crowned Queen and had an entire kingdom to contend with.

But that last time on Naraku...

_Once Lotor's command ship had left the planet, the king of the Second Kingdom had joined up with her. "Oh. I see your intended came back from the dead."_

_"I know what you're thinking, Skath. I __am__ a telepath, after all."_

_"I don't mind saying it for everyone to hear." King Skath took her hand with both of his. "Merla, I'd like to unite the Second and Seventh Kingdoms. I've been saying that for years." He looked away from her and up at the sky, glaring at the departed command ship. "If Lotor doesn't seek your hand this time, __I__ am going press for it."_

The knock on the door snapped Merla back to the present. "Come in," she called out unenthusiastically.

Sidonie entered the room and closed the door behind her, bowing her head out of respect. "Your Majesty, the staff is talking. There are rumors circulating...your people would like you to speak regarding King Bhorn's announcement."

"What announcement? About the demise of the Ninth Kingdom? About the death of Lotor...yet _again_?" The beautiful queen let out a haughty laugh. "My dear Sidonie, the people and my staff already know everything. There is nothing left to tell them."

The handmaiden eyed her skeptically; she knew her queen far too well by now. "The staff knows that you're in mourning, my lady. They ache for you." Plopping herself on the floor by her feet, Sidonie began to stroke Merla's braided hair soothingly. "We _all _ache for you."

Merla knew she was telling the truth.

Suddenly, she wanted...well, it wasn't exactly revenge. She wanted to hurt Arus, but not for what they did to Lotor. _There's no need to avenge that fool's death. _She wanted Arus to hurt, to feel shame and misery and embarrassment. She wanted them to be scorned by the universe the same way the planets of the Drule Supreme Council were. It didn't matter how long it took; Merla was as patient as she was cunning and brilliant.

"Sidonie, my dearest Sidonie, I need you to do something for me."

The handmaiden looked up. "Anything, your Majesty."

"I need you to contact King Skath of the Second Kingdom." She smiled faintly. "Tell him that I accept his offer."

Sidonie's eyes widened. "Of course, your Majesty! At once!" With a quick curtsy, she practically skipped out of the room, probably bursting at the seams at the news of an impending royal wedding.

With that, Merla closed her eyes. She was finally alone inside her head.

* * *

When Hunk showed Cinda to their rooms, she was surprised that they were on a short wing of the castle; there were only four rooms, two on each side of the hallway. "Why am I staying here?" she asked.

"Well, uh, see," Hunk began, stammering, "these are four suites. The two on each side are adjoining." He shrugged. "I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable, so I arranged to have two separate rooms for us...but they connect," he added hopefully.

"I see. Who's staying across the hall from us?"

"Pidge and Chip."

"Sweet." She waited for him to unlock the door so she could unpack her clothes. She wanted to hang her gowns up as quickly as possible to minimize creasing. "Tell me, how come you're staying here with me and not in your room?"

"C'mon, Cin, you _really _need to ask that?" He smiled sheepishly, placing his hand behind his head. "Besides, my usual room is right next door to Lance's. _I _didn't want to have to listen to him and Ginge close the deal all night...did _you_?"

Cinda began to laugh hysterically. "No, definitely _not_."

He opened the door. "Didn't think so. After you, my lady."

Calming her hysteria, the Land Team member dragged her luggage into the room. It was sweet of Hunk to think about giving them two adjoined rooms. They were together, but he had respect for her privacy and he wasn't willing to rush her into anything too soon.

Shaking her head to herself, amused, she wondered how long it would take before he realized that maybe she _wanted _to rush things.


	25. Love Somebody

_Author's Note__: I am so excited about these coming chapters. There's a lot of joy, a lot of love, and a lot of weddings. (?) Be patient; it will all unfold._

_Thank you to everyone who's reading, following, commenting, and basically sticking around. Like I always say, my readers are the BEST!_

_To Smithy - HA! It does sound wrong. No, I firmly believe that Sven and Keith should be royal consorts; after all, they weren't born noblemen. (But I like them anyway!)_

_To Emie Mac - Romelle is pretty honorable (despite her affair with Erimar), and she is working to get her marriage on the right track. And hooray for some Chris/Jeff time! And - wait for it - some Lance/beanbag chair time!_

_To bknbu - No, Ginger is not wearing her 'Gingers'...or her 'Lances' for that matter...EEP! As for Merla, well, I consider it as laying the groundwork for some future works I've got planned. But note the "weddings" comment above,_

_To Cubbie - Ah, Fleet of Doom...well, when we get to the bachelor party, it will most definitely not be as short or as G-rated as the FoD celebration, that's all I'm gonna say... (Though it will most definitely NOT be as crazy as Jeff's bachelor party was, that's for sure.)_

_To FroofyB - Wow, that is __definitely__ saying something, especially coming from someone as pro-K/A as you are! I shall do my best to make you proud. _

_**Title Song: "Love Somebody" by Maroon 5**_

* * *

Lance was groggy when he woke up, but he knew something was different. He felt different. He felt..._better_.

He'd never known it himself, but today, he figured it out. There was a hollowness in his soul that had been with him for the past twelve years, ever since he graduated from the Space Academy and left Earth for Arus. But he'd never realized it was there until this very moment, when it dawned on him that the feeling wasn't there.

The hollowness, the emptiness - it was gone. In its place was Ginger.

For a moment, the Red Lion pilot glanced over at the sleeping blond beauty next to him in bed. Propping himself up on his arm, he studied her. She was a different woman than she had been when they first met so many years ago, but if anything, her added years had made her even more beautiful. They'd both lived through experiences that would have broken the average person, and yet they were still standing. And she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever known.

Suddenly, he didn't want to exist another moment without making things official. He shook her awake.

"Huh? Wha...?" Her sky-blue eyes opened to the hazy morning sunlight. "Lance? What in seven hells are you _doing_?"

"Hey. I just wanted to tell you good morning." He pressed his body against her backside, wrapping her up in his arms as he did. "And I also wanted to tell you that I love you."

Because she had just woken up, Ginger was not on her game. Normally, she would have teased him back, played his words off as a joke. But right there, dressed in a pale pink camisole and red lace boy shorts, laying next to a nearly-undressed Lance, her guard was down. She was too vulnerable.

"You love me?"

"I do." He sat up, leaning over to reach into his bedside drawer. "I have something for you, Gin. I've actually had it for a while. I just didn't know it was for you." He swallowed. "Actually, I _did _know it was meant for you, I just didn't know how I was ever gonna get it to you. And then you came back into my life."

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

He didn't have any more words. He took her left hand, and while locking his eyes on hers, he slid the sparkling garnet-and-diamond ring onto her finger. "Gin...I love you."

She gasped. "Lance Charles McClain, what _is _this?" She glanced down at her finger. The ring was beautiful, but neither one of them had ever wanted to get married. "We don't believe in the institution of marriage, remember?" Her face crumpled, and she leaned against him, burying her face in his neck. "There's no such thing as a piece of paper that will make us stay together."

"I'm not asking you to marry me, Gin." He paused to rethink his statement. "Well, if I actually believed in marriage, then yeah, I'd be proposing right now. But I know the both of us well enough to know that the idea won't fly. So this isn't meant so much as an engagement ring as it is a promise. It's a promise of a whole life together. You, me, and whatever it decides to bring us."

"Oh, gods." Ginger brought her hands to her lips, looking utterly shocked. "Lance, did you forget about the Explorer? How are we ever going to be together when I'm stationed on a stellar ship and you're stationed on Arus?"

"Ah. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately." Lance grinned, then took one of her hands and kissed it. "A few nights ago, Len told me a secret - the reason she came out here so early for the wedding was because she purchased land on Arus on behalf of the Garrison. We're going to build a Space Academy on Arus." His grin grew even wider. "Gin, she picked me to be the school's headmaster. _I _would be in charge."

"God help those kids," she cracked wryly.

"Thanks, Baby. You raise me up." He wrinkled his nose, smiling. "So in any case, once the Academy starts going up, I'm leaving the Voltron Force. I'll officially be on the Garrison payroll." He shrugged. "It'll be nice to have a stable home life for a change. Not having to worry about battles or alarms in the middle of the night, never having to wonder whether or not I'll ever see my loved ones again...it was an offer too tempting to pass up."

"So you told Len you'd do it?"

"Not yet. But I will. I wanted to run it by you first."

"Since when have you ever run any ideas of your by _me _first?"

"Since I figured out that I wanted you to share my life." He shrugged. "It's only fair."

"Oh, Lance..." Rolling off the bed, Ginger found where her Air Team uniform had been scattered. She'd been in such a rush to remove her clothes that she had to look for the separate pieces. "Lance, you weren't the only one with that idea."

"Huh?"

Retrieving the little felt bag from her uniform's pocket, Ginger joined her beloved back on the bed. "Lance, after we met up last year - after the whole episode on Crydor - I got to thinking that you're the only guy I've ever really loved. Yeah, I've had boyfriends and I've closed the deal, but you're the only one who ever had my heart." She cleared her throat. "So I bought this for you."

As she held out the gold ring with the oval face - _My initials...she had my initials carved onto it_ - Lance took it between his fingers. "_You _bought _me_ a ring?" he squeaked, sliding it onto his hand. "That's what the _guy _is supposed to do, silly!"

"Hey now. I'm a modern woman."

Lance held his hand out in front of him, admiring his ring, then grabbed Ginger's newly-adorned hand with it. "So what do you think, Gin? Do you think I can get you to move to Arus and be with me once I leave the Voltron Force?"

"I can do you one better." She leaned in closely, kissing the tip of his nose. "A bunch of us have been talking about how we're growing up and we're ready for the next phase of our lives. Jeff, Lisa, Cliff, Cinda, Commander Hawkins...even Wolo and Chip and Rocky are wondering how much longer we're all gonna be doing this." She nodded solemnly. "I'll put advance notice in with the Garrison. I'd like to leave my station on the Explorer and be reassigned to Arus. After Lisa's wedding, of course."

"Of course." Then, pausing, he cracked, "Wait...Lisa's getting _married_?"

"Yes."

"Correction...Lisa and _Aidan_ are getting married?"

"Indeed."

"I'm not drunk enough for any of this. Let's get a bottle of champagne and start celebrating!" He grabbed her again, kissing her passionately and laughing at the same time.

"Lance, isn't it kind of early to start drinking?"

"Hey...one of my best friends is getting married this weekend, another one of my best friends is getting married down the road, _and _I managed to trick you into becoming my other half. Cadet Ellington, if this isn't all cause for celebration, then I don't know what is."

She closed her eyes to keep the tears from welling up. In her entire life, she had never dreamed she could be so happy. "You're right, Cadet McClain. And," she swallowed, "I love you."

It was the first time she had ever said that phrase. She had never told Lance that she loved him, but there in his bed, the words had been exchanged. They were both madly in love with each other and had just promised to spend their lives together. She had just decided that she would leave her post on the Explorer and the Vehicle Team to be with him; he would leave his position on the Voltron Force and become Headmaster of the Arusian Space Academy for her.

Their relationship would never set them on a path towards the altar, but it would still take them all the way.

* * *

Usually she spent her early mornings on the balcony with Larmina, doing a series of yoga poses before ending with _savasana_, but this morning, Lenora was doing something different. She was on horseback, her husband beside her, traveling out to the recently-purchased parcel of land that would serve as the Arusian Space Academy.

"Well?" she asked as they stopped their horses at the perimeter of the land. "What do you think?"

Jon shaded his eyes for a moment, studying the property. "I think it's perfect," he admitted. "There's plenty of land to be paved, there's water access, there aren't many trees to be torn down - I think they might even be able to stay." He turned to his wife and smiled. "In my humble opinion, Space Marshal, I think it's the best parcel we've accumulated yet. Much better than Tokyo or Oslo."

"I agree. It's perfect." She stuck her tongue out. "I'm waiting to hear from Justine when I get back to Earth. I'd like to hear about what happened on Planet Elnor. Who knows? Maybe that one will be the best Space Academy yet."

He threw back his head and laughed. "Always thinking on the bright side. I love that about you." Still on horseback, he leaned over for a kiss. "Now tell me, how has it been out here?" His face suddenly darkened. "How has _he _been?"

She looked away. "Gods, _mon coeur_, don't start. It's been..._difficult."_

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Has your old fiancé been bothering you? Because if he has - and if he continues to do so - all I'll need is five minutes alone with him." His face darkened further. "Actually, _two _minutes."

"Jon, _stop_." She shook her head. "I think..." she frowned. "I think it's fine now. I'm just glad you're here."

It was true; she felt much, _much _better with her husband at her side. Things were almost back to normal now, almost as though she had never been in Green Lion or had an image of what her future _should _have looked like shoved in her face. That was the best part about Jon - with him, she tended to forget about the confusion in her love life. She tended not to think about Sven and what he had meant to her.

She wondered how well things would go under these circumstances. She prayed that, for Keith's and Allura's sakes, her husband and her old fiancé would remain cordial and polite for the royal wedding. Because if they didn't, she was not going to be happy with either of them.

* * *

Nanny had been a mess throughout the entire day. Being so close to the wedding, the royal guests had begun to arrive from throughout the galaxy. Bandor and Emma had arrived from Pollux with Rosalie in tow - and the castle staff had been in an amused frenzy over the sudden competitive streak between Drea and Sofia versus the Polluxian nursemaid. Queen Clarissa arrived to full fanfare from Planet Exxus, excusing her brother Stephane's absence but embracing her sister and brother-in-law. Queen Anadora of Planet Brann made a less-spectacular entrance, apologizing for her brother Luthcar's decision to stay home and run the government in her stead. But when the ship from Planet Scilos arrived, Keith walked away anxiously, unable to greet one more dignitary who _wasn't _his sister.

"Keith! You need to calm down." Allura reached for his shoulder with her left hand. As she did, the sunlight glinted off her engagement ring, throwing a rainbow of colors over their faces. "They're _fine. _They'll be here soon."

"I know. But I can't help but worry."

As soon as the words left his lips, Jeff walked up behind them. "It's okay, man," he offered, biting his lip - a habit he'd subconsciously picked up from his wife. "I know how worked-up you are to see her again. I am, too."

"I am." _Jeff doesn't know. __None__ of them know about Lotor. Christiane is going to be the first. _"I haven't seen her since your wedding. I should be a better brother."

"Hey, she understands." Jeff winked. "I mean, seven hells, if _she _doesn't understand, then nobody does."

As Keith nodded in reply, a cry echoed out in the background, "It's the three Albegas ships from the Garrison!" He turned to grin at his brother-in-law, relief washing over his body.

"Let's go get our girl," Jeff grinned, holding out his elbow for Allura to take. In reply, she winked and linked her arm through his.

The three Albegas mecha were old, but they were still commanding. Black landed first, with Blue right next to it. But Keith wasn't concerned about them. He was waiting for Red.

As Aidan, Morgan, Kelly and David exited the ships, Keith stood on the landing pad, looking up at the sky as the Red Mecha came into view. It had hardly touched down before the hatch popped open and a shrill shriek pierced through the air. _"AKIRA-CHAN!"_

He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "I hear you, Eiko-chan! I think all of Arus can hear you!"

Christiane popped out of Red Mechan and ran towards her brother. "Oh, Keith, I've missed you," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed his lips to her forehead, knowing that it wasn't necessary to tell her with words that Lotor was dead.

She withdrew quickly, her own turquoise eyes searching his out. "Is it true? Have my visions been telling the truth?" Her breath caught in her throat, and she swallowed it along with her tears. "Lotor is dead?"

"Yes. Destroyed by Voltron's Blazing Sword." He laid his head against hers. "You can rest easy now, Eiko-chan. He will never, ever hurt you again. He will never haunt your dreams or your visions again. I made sure of it."

"Thank you." Nuzzled against her brother, her world instantly shifted. She felt better than she had in the past year, since the moment she'd been kidnapped. It was a relief to know that Lotor was dead and would never come back for her.

Now, if only the image of the empty casket would stop haunting her...


End file.
